The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Writer Addresses Theory About Lucy and Katniss Connection
The two figures might not be connected as direct ancestors.
The prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes focused largely on the early years of Coriolanus Snow, but given how much fans love Katniss Everdeen, some audiences were hoping the film could establish a connection to the hero. Some fans even think that Rachel Zegler's Lucy Gray Baird could be an ancestor of Katniss', but cowriter Michael Lesslie avoided directly confirming a familial lineage, yet made note that Lucy Gray and her rebellious spirit definitively makes her a symbolic predecessor to Katniss, if not an actual ancestor. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is in theaters now.
"Nothing I say has any authority. [Franchise creator] Suzanne [Collins] is so closely guarded. I think Lucy Gray is some sort of progenitor of [Katniss] and I don't think she's her grandma or direct lineage or anything," Lesslie revealed to TheWrap. "The Covey aren't blood-related, either, they're like a family. So I think she could be a member of [The Covey]. I think Lucy Gray maybe set out from home and makes it out of the sort of borders of the districts, maybe goes to [District 13]."
He added, "Maybe there are people she meets and inspires there who are people who saw these games and were inspired by her music, and who then become the kind of genesis of Katniss. Philosophically, I think Lucy Gray is Katniss' progenitor, but I also think, for me, there's anyone who might be like Maude Ivory or someone who becomes Katniss or someone who we've never met but who is in the place that [Lucy Gray] goes."
Given the nature of prequels and the expansion of franchises, some audiences were expecting more direct references to the hero of the original Hunger Games adventures, so even if Katniss didn't appear in the prequel, it's clear that the experiences of Lucy Gray helped pave the way for the defiant tactics of Katniss.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray's charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is in theaters now.
Do you think the two characters are connected to one another? Let us know in the comments!