A new sneak peeks image for the next Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has been revealed, and it shows a very different side of President Snow than we saw in the first film. Together with an exclusive interview with the film’s director, Francis Lawrence, the new photo was shown exclusively to Vanity Fair.
Based on Suzanne Collins’s 2020 prequel novel, this new movie is sure to please fans of the book series. Beginning with his childhood, the film will chronicle the rise to power of President Snow (Donald Sutherland in the original film series), ruler of the dystopian nation of Panem.
Tom Blyth’s portrayal of Coriolanus Snow, a high school student in the film, will take centre stage. The story takes place 64 years before the events of the first Hunger Games film when Snow is torn between his feelings for Rachel Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird (portrayed by Viola Davis) and his hatred of the evil Dr Volumnia Gaul (played by Donald Sutherland).
The recently published photo features Coriolanus Snow and Lucy relaxing on a bright yellow picnic blanket. Lucy puts her head in his lap while they both hold hands. The picture seems so perfect at first glance.
However, upon closer inspection, certain anomalies become apparent, such as Snow’s dog tag and his short haircut. At this moment, Snow is an orphan living in the affluent Capitol, where he enrols at the Academy. This updated portrayal of Snow illustrates the friendship between her and the kind and gentle Lucy Gray Baird, who aptly personifies the “songbird” half of the title’s moniker. Francis Lawrence, the film’s director, told Vanity Fair, “This is very much a narrative about love.” He elaborated, saying, “It’s this type of love tale set in this other kind of a planet in another period.”
However, unlike the first series, which prioritised Katniss Everdeen’s survival over any potential romantic interests, the second series places far more emphasis on a romantic subplot that plays a pivotal role in the overall tale. With the next film taking place before Katniss was born, the mythology of Panem will be thoroughly explored, as Snow and his companions are still dealing with the aftermath of the conflicts that brought to the downfall of civilization and the birth of Panem.
In addition to Zegler, Blyth, and Davis, the new picture will also star Hunter Schafer, Peter Dinklage, and Jason Schwartzman. On November 17, 2023, movie theatres will debut the new movie.
Synopsis
The 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), many years before he would become the dictatorial President of Panem, is the final glimmer of hope for his once-proud family, which has fallen on hard times in the post-war Capitol. As the tenth Hunger Games approaches, little Snow is worried about being paired with Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the girl tribute from poor District 12. Snow feels he can turn the tables when Lucy Gray’s rebellious singing at the reaping ritual captures the attention of all of Panem. Together, Snow and Lucy Gray’s knack for showmanship and their newly acquired political acumen will determine who among them is a songbird and who among them is a serpent in their race against time for survival.