Calling All Tributes — "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Trailer Is Officially Here

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Calling all tributes! We've been patiently waiting seven years to hear news of any upcoming Hunger Games movies, and it looks like the odds are finally in our favor. The prequel book by Suzanne Collins, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is getting a film adaption.

Lionsgate officially announced the release date for the upcoming Hunger Games prequel movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, at the 2022 CinemaCon. The movie will be based on the book of the same name and take place years before the action of The Hunger Games.

For a quick refresh, we last saw the post-apocalyptic sovereign state Panem in the final movie of the series, which covered the second half of the third book, Mockingjay. A constitutional republic had been built following the overthrow of President Snow's (Donald Sutherland) regime and of course, lovers and former Hunger Games victors Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) ended the franchise living happily as a family in District 12, finally having found peace.

But we don't expect to see our favorite revolutionaries in Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as the story takes place many years before Katniss and Peeta were even born. Instead, the main focus is on President Snow.

Hungry for more info? Keep reading to find out what we know about the Hunger Games prequel movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

What is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes about?

While we can't guarantee that the movie will stick to the book entirely, we can speculate that the overall plot will be similar.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes book focuses on young Coriolanus Snow, who we saw as the tyrannical president of Panem in the OG Hunger Games book and movie series. At age 18, Snow is chosen to be a mentor to Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from impoverished District 12, during the 10th Hunger Games.

FYI, Katniss and Peeta didn't compete until the 74th Hunger Games, just to give you a sense of how pre this prequel is.

In an August 16 interview with Vanity Fair, director Francis Lawrence said “It’s this kind of love story set in a different kind of a world in a different time. A very intimate love story.”

“This is not with judgment, but Lucy Gray is the anti-Katniss,” adds Lawrence. “She’s a musician, she’s a performer, she’s a charmer …. Snow has never met a girl like this before,” Lawrence says.

We can't wait to see how the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes may have influenced Snow to become wicked and controlling during his presidential years. But we can't promise that we will ever be able to see him as the good guy!

Since it'll be over a year before we can see the film, we'll be reading the book to tide us over.

Is there a trailer for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?

Calling all tributes — the official trailer for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes dropped on April 27, 2023, and we seriously can't wait to catch the highly-anticipated prequel once it's released in theaters. In it, we finally catch a glimpse at stars like Rachel Zegler and Hunter Schafer. Watch the full drama-filled trailer below.

On June 5, 2022, Lionsgate Movies released a minute-and-a-half teaser video that already has us sharpening our spears and practicing our bow and arrow skills. And while the clip doesn't show any action, it does set the scene for a totally epic (and snowy) prequel film.

Who is in The Hunger Games prequel cast?

Although details have been kept fairly hush-hush, news about casting has slowly come out. It's confirmed that Francis Lawrence — the director behind all of the franchise installments (minus the first Hunger Games flick) — will return to the director's chair for The Ballad, according to Screen Rant.

Most recently, Viola Davis has joined the cast in the role of the Head Gamemaker, Volumnia Gaul, according to Variety.

“Dr. Gaul is as cruel as she is creative and as fearsome as she is formidable. Snow’s savvy as a political operator develops in no small part due to his experiences with her as the games’ most commanding figure,” Lawrence said.

On July 18, the official Twitter account for the beloved book and film franchise announced that Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage will play Casca Highbottom, dean of the Academy, in the prequel.

According to Deadline, "Dean Highbottom is one of the most powerful people in Snow’s life. As the austere and vindictive face of the games, he sets the rules that will determine every aspect of Coriolanus’s fate," said Lawrence.

On June 21, the official Hunger Games Twitter account also broke the news that Euphoria star Hunter Schafer joins the cast. Per Deadline, Hunter will play Tigris Snow, "Coriolanus' cousin and confidante, who advises him in everything – from his role as mentor to the core of his moral compass."

On June 14, production named five more tributes and mentors participating in the 10th annual Hunger Games. According to Deadline, Jerome Lance will star as Marcus, the tribute from District 2. Knox Gibson will play Bobbin, a District 8 tribute. Mackenzie Lansing will play Coral, a District 4 tribute. Ashley Liao will play Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus's close friends and the mentor to a District 11 tribute, while Aamer Husain stars as Felix Ravinstill, also a mentor to a tribute from District 11.

On May 31, Deadline also reported that Rachel Zegler will star in the prequel as Lucy Gray Baird, the lead female role. Lucy is the girl tribute from District 12, and Coriolanus's mentee during the 10th annual Games.

"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," Lawrence said, per Deadline. "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."

Rachel initially sparked casting rumors over Memorial Day Weekend when she mysteriously tweeted, "listen up….. can y’all grow restfully? are you becoming an individual resting decisively?"

Per Just Jared, fans quickly decoded the meaning behind the message, noting that the first letter of every word spells out Lucy Gray Baird. After the announcement was made on Tuesday, Rachel took to Twitter once again to share her excitement.

However, Rachel actually turned down the lead female role when she was first offered it in January 2022. The West Side Story actress joked on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast that that it was "an embarrassing story" for her. "

“I was offered it in January of last year, after wanting it so badly. I didn’t audition, it was just, I got a call from my agent that was like, "Francis Lawrence wants you to do this," and I met with him for like three hours at the Soho Hotel in London, and then he told me that they were filming in Germany and in Poland," she explained.

“I had just gotten to London and I wanted to disappear, because I was so far away from home for the first time ever and I was away from everybody that I knew and loved. And I said no," Rachel admitted. "I regretted it the second I said it. I had another project lined up that fell through, that got pushed into 2023, and I just kind of put my name back into the mix and got it.”

Earlier this year, People revealed that Tom Blyth will star as young Coriolanus Snow, who is 18 years old when the events of The Ballad take place. The British actor stars in the EPIX series Billy the Kid, and has previously held roles in The Gilded Age and Benediction.

When does The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes come out?

Mark your calendars for November 17, 2023!

According to Deadline, Lionsgate announced at the end of their CinemaCon presentation that the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will hit the big screen on November 17, 2023. Perfect entertainment for your Thanksgiving-time festivities.

Has the The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes started filming?

Yes! The film is in production, which means we're officially back in Panem. On October 20, Rachel Zegler, who stars in the lead female role as Lucy Gray Baird, gave TikTok fans the first behind-the-scenes look into filming and OMG, can we fast forward to November 2023 already?!

In a clip posted to TikTok's official account, Rachel revealed part of the set of the dystopian film (which appears to be the Academy, an elite school in the Capitol), and even introduced some of the cast members. "Hello TikTok, I'm Rachel Zegler and I'd like to show you the set of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," she began.

After a quick montage of various actors in costume, we meet stars such as Tom Blyth as young Coriolanus Snow and Josh Rivera (aka Rachel's IRL boyfriend!!) as Sejanus Plinth.

On November 5, Rachel announced on Twitter that she had finished her part of filming the prequel. "i have loved every second. and that’s a wrap. ♥️," she captioned a tweet featuring two behind-the-scenes photos of her holding a clapper board.

She continued her thoughts in a follow-up tweet, writing "many many many more words come to mind but i shan’t bore you by pretending i have anything new to offer you with my thoughts. just know i am thankful. just know i love telling stories. just know i am so happy with real life. ♥️ happy wrap, my songbirds. ♥️"

What has the original Hunger Games cast said about the prequel?

When we think of The Hunger Games, we of course think of Jennifer Lawrence, who expertly portrayed Katniss Everdeen throughout the franchise’s four films. And although she won’t appear in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (sigh), the actress has some straightforward advice to impart to the new cast.

When asked about the film during an appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival, JLaw replied per People, “Oh, and the prequel? Oh my god, you guys are going to have the best time. Just have fun — don't worry about anything.” Aw. ❤️

Are there any photos of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?

After patiently waiting, we got a first look at The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie from Vanity Fair. The still features Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) and Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) holding hands in a grassy field.

As we get closer to the release date, check back here for more pictures and clips of The Hunger Games prequel film.

While we patiently wait for more news, catch up on all of the original Hunger Games books and movies (available to stream on Amazon with an EPIX subscription) to relive all of the heart-pounding, dystopian action.

We'll meet back here with more deets the second we find out!

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