The Hunger Games has remained nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, with Suzanne Collins’ books and the trio of resulting movies being incredibly successful. The forthcoming The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is easily the biggest departure yet for the franchise, telling the story of a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) decades prior to the rise of Katniss Everdeen. Although The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is based on Collins’ 2020 book of the same name, fans have continued to wonder if other cinematic offshoots of the saga are in the cards. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson hinted that they aren’t opposed to the possibility, but any future chapters will probably have to be rooted in an idea from Collins herself.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“I liked being part of the series originally because the stories are great,” Lawrence explained. “But what was always gratifying was that they were always about something. Suzanne always writes from a thematic foundation. The original ones were all about the consequences of war. [Songbirds and Snakes is] about the state of nature. That’s what makes them feel rich and not superficial, and I think it’s why they’ve stood the test of time, honestly… 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 a part of it. But I don’t have any pull of just going, ‘I would love to do Finnick’s games.’ He’s a great character, but what’s the thematic underpinnings that make it worth telling and relevant?”
“If she has something to say, I want to hear it,” Jacobson echoed. “I’m fascinated by her perspective. I will always want to follow her lead.”
What Is The Hunger Games Prequel About?
In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) 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 (Rachel Zegler), the girl 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’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.
The ensemble cast for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes also includes Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Laurel Marsden, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jose Andrés Rivera, Ashley Liao, Mackenzie Lansing, Irene Boehm, Cooper Dillon, Luna Kuse, Kjell Brutscheidt, Dimitri Abold, Athena Strates, Dakota Shapiro, George Somner and Vaughan Reilly, Lilly Maria Cooper, Sofia Sannchez, and Max Raphael. Nina Jacobson will executive produce alongside her producing partner Brad Simpson, as well as Lawrence, Collins, and Tim Palen.
Would you want to see other prequels for The Hunger Games franchise? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set to be released exclusively in theaters on November 17th.
