New ‘Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Trailer Tracks the Rise of President Snow (Video)

Lionsgate has unveiled a brand new, explosive trailer for the upcoming prequel “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” Based on the book of the same name by “Hunger Games” author Suzanne Collins, the story takes place years before the events of the original trilogy, during the 10th Annual Hunger Games.

Tom Blyth plays a young Coriolanus Snow (played in the original films by Donald Sutherland), who is tasked with mentoring a young tribute from District 12 played by Rachel Zegler and helping head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) reshape the Hunger Games into a true spectacle.

The trailer is backed by a new rendition of “The Hanging Tree,” a forbidden song in the world of “The Hunger Games” that was sung by Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss in “Mockingjay.”

Francis Lawrence, who directed “Catching Fire” and the two “Mockingjay” films, directed this prequel from a screenplay by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. The impressive ensemble cast also includes Hunter Schafer, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman and Josh Andrés Rivera.

The original “Hunger Games” films were a global phenomenon and catapulted Jennifer Lawrence into the spotlight. It hasn’t even been a decade since the series wrapped up with 2015’s “Mockingjay – Part 2,” which grossed over $650 million worldwide, so it’ll be interesting to see how hungry audiences are for the backstory to this beloved franchise.

Watch the new trailer in the video above. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” opens exclusively in theaters on Nov. 17.

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