Will 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' Get a Prequel-Sequel?
This story contains spoilers for The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Now that The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is here, fans are already wondering if there will be a sequel. Given the ambiguous final scene, it's a fair question—but before we dive into the future of the series, let’s backtrack a bit.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel set 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games. The film, which is based on Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name, follows a young Cornelius Snow, decades before he becomes the president of Panem, as well as Lucy Baird, a rebellious singer living in District 12. Their lives intertwine when Baird is selected to fight in the 10th-annual Hunger Games. Snow, a student at The Capital, is assigned as her mentor. As they work together to win the games, both Snow and Baird’s loyalties are tested.
The film ends with Snow back in the capital, jaded and heartbroken, but ready to continue studying under the vicious Gamemaker, Dr. Volumnia Gaul. Before the credits roll, we see a shot of Snow smiling, while his older self narrates, “It’s the things we love the most that destroy us.” Fans of The Hunger Games may recognize that line from Mockingjay — Part 1 when Snow, who at that point is President of Panem, speaks to his fiercest opponent, Katniss Everdeen.
So, how do we get from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to the original Hunger Games? Surely there’s more to the story, right? Unfortunately, there isn’t a new movie in the works quite yet, but the film’s directors are hoping for a sequel, too. Keep reading for everything we know about the future of The Hunger Games.
Has Suzanne Collins Written Another Hunger Games Sequel?
Not yet! But The Hunger Games director, Francis Lawrence, is open to creating another movie with her. Lawrence told People, “If Suzanne has another thematic idea that she feels fits into the world of Panem—whether that’s with new people [or] familiar characters [like] Finnick, Haymitch, whoever—I’d be really interested in looking at it and being apart of it.”
Even so, the director said that Collins is in charge of whatever happens next. “I don’t have any pull of just going, ‘I would love to do Finnick’s games,” he explained. “He’s a great character, but what’s the thematic underpinnings that make it worth telling and relevant?” The Hunger Games producer Nina Jacobson expressed a similar sentiment. “If she [Collins] has something to say, I want to hear it. I’m fascinated by her perspective. I will always want to follow her lead.”
What Could The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Sequel Be About?
There are plenty of fascinating characters within the Hunger Games franchise whose backstories could be explored. Perhaps the next book could focus on Haymitch, the tortured mentor who leads Katniss and Peetah to victory—or Cinna, the warm-hearted designer who meets a tragic end.
Or, if Collins wants to continue focusing on rebels, she could write an separate series about on Snow’s cousin, Tigris. When we’re introduced to Tigris in Songbirds and Snakes, she and Snow are inseparable—but their bond is broken by Snow’s actions. Years later, Tigress joins the resistance against him, which is portrayed in Mockingjay, helping to defeat him once and for all. Of all the characters in The Hunger Games, Tigris appears to have the most potential for a sequel.
While chatting with People, Jacobson expressed her desire to bring Tigris’s story to life. “I would love to see Snow’s rise to power because he’s just a great character—but Tigris, understanding how this girl who loves him so and cares for him and becomes the woman that we saw in Mockingjay, that I’m really fascinated by.” She continued, “Part of what’s interesting is bringing her in here—selling her as this sister figure, the cousin, how much love they have between the two of them—and then you think of the time jump and how she’s actually helping them go after him and kill him… I think there’s a really interesting shift there as well as, obviously, the physical transformation too.”
Who Could Star in The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes Sequel?
If a sequel features Tigris's backstory, I would hope to see Hunter Schafer reprise the role. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the actress said she’s just as curious about Tigris’s future as we are. “I want to know what happens, even if I wasn’t playing her,” she said. “I want to know how we get there.” Fingers crossed, people.
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