The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes New Image HInts At Prequel's Biggest Challenge

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes director Francis Lawrence teases the biggest challenge the prequel faces.

By Kofi Outlaw

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes director Francis Lawrence is speaking up about the biggest challenge to prequel has to take on: Turning the horrible archvillain of the original Hunger Games Trilogy into a sympathetic protagonist. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place 64 years before the original story when Panem is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Hunger Games' creation. A young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is given the opportunity to redeem his family's disgraced name by mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a young girl from District 12 who has a flair for the performance side of the games. However, as Lucy and Coriolanus get close, their partnership up-ends the games and social fabric of Panem with it. 

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(Photo: Lionsgate Films)

So how does the Coriolanus Snow who enters into these 10th games with fire in his heart end up being the cold-hearted fascist that annihilates Katniss Everdeen's entire district? That question is exactly what brought Francis Lawerence back, after being the one who initially depicted Snow's brutality in his three Hunger Games movie sequels Catching Fire, and Mockingjay Parts 1&2.

"To tell a story about, and to create empathy for, a young man who's going to become the villain of the other books and movies was a really interesting challenge," Lawrence told Empire Magazine. "How do we make this person that's going to be the antagonist of our story the protagonist of our story? How can we get audiences behind him in his struggle, and see him change and be groomed and turned into the Snow of the later series?"

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The biggest make-or-break element of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be just how well Lawrence and series creator/book author, Suzanne Collins tell this story. Without spoilers, there's a lot more to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and its character arcs than just the Hunger Games event. The true tragedy of Snow's moral downfall will hinge on that dramatic storyline outside of the games – and how fans respond to it. 

Synopsis: "Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem's attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy Gray's race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake." - Lionsgate

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be released in theaters on November 17th. 

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