West Side Story breakout Rachel Zegler to star in Hunger Games prequel

The Hunger Games prequel movie has picked its Tribute from District 12.

Following in the footsteps of Jennifer Lawrence, who starred in the original Hunger Games films as Katniss Everdeen, West Side Story breakout and Disney's Snow White actress Rachel Zegler has been tapped to costar in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Zegler will portray Lucy Gray Baird in the movie that's based on author Suzanne Collins' book of the same name, which focuses on a younger Coriolanus Snow before he became the tyrannical President of Panem. Tom Blyth of Epix series Billy the Kid will play 18-year-old Coriolanus.

The premise of the film follows the book in that it's set during the 10th annual Hunger Games. Lucy Gray, hailing from the impoverished District 12, is picked for the gladiatorial games and assigned Coriolanus as her mentor. She gains the attention of Panem when she defiantly sings during the reaping ceremony, which Coriolanus hopes to use to gain favor.

"Like everybody, I first saw Rachel Zegler in West Side Story, and like everybody, I knew I was watching a star who would command the screen for a generation," said director Francis Lawrence, who previously helmed most of the Hunger Games films, including Catching Fire and both Mockingjay sequels. "Lucy Gray is a perfect match for her as an actress: the character is bold, independent, and defiant, but also vulnerable, emotional, and loving. Rachel will make this character unforgettable."

Nina Jacobson, who produces The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with business partner Brad Simpson, said the casting team of Deb Zane and Dylan Jury spearheaded "an exhaustive search" for the Lucy Gray role that included "hundreds of actors."

"That search ended when Rachel Zegler blew the roof off with her depth and breadth of talent as an actor, singer, and performer," Jacobson said. "Rachel is utterly compelling; just like Lucy Gray, her voice and charisma command the stage while her inner strength and humanity transform those around her."

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is based on a screenplay by Michael Lesslie (Macbeth, Assassin's Creed), who built off the work of Collins and Little Miss Sunshine screenwriter Michael Arndt.

The film is scheduled to premiere Nov. 17, 2023.

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