The Hunger Games prequel isn’t even in production yet, but that’s not stopping Lionsgate from dropping a trailer reveal to get fans pumped for the series’ big screen return. Adapting the book of the same name, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will explore the early years of President Coriolanus Snow, who was played by Donald Sutherland in the Jennifer Lawrence films. This time around, Tom Blyth will take over the role of the younger Snow, who will be embroiled in a complicated relationship with the film’s female protagonist played by West Side Story star Rachel Zegler.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be directed by Francis Lawrence, who directed Catching Fire and both Mockingjay films in the original Hunger Games films. You can read the official synopsis below:
Return to The Hunger Games, the landmark film franchise that has earned over $3 billion globally, with Lionsgate’s adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ #1 New York Times Bestseller The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy Gray’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes hits theaters on November 17, 2023.