Hunger Games Prequel Movie Adds Another West Side Story Actor to Cast

At the beginning of the month, the first teaser for the upcoming The Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, was released. While no footage was shown, it did tease the tagline "in 2023 the world will discover who is a songbird and who is a snake." It was also recently revealed that West Side Story star Rachel Zegler had been cast in the film as Lucy Gray Baird. Now, The Wrap reports that Zegler isn't the only actor from Speilberg's musical adaptation to join the upcoming movie. Josh Andrés Rivera, who played Chino in West Side Story, has been added as Sejanus Plinth. 

In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Sejanus Plinth is a close friend of young Coriolanus Snow and the mentor to a tribute from District 2. The film will follow 18-year-old Snow when he sees a chance for a change of fortunes when he is chosen to be a mentor to Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from the impoverished District 12. The film will see the return of Francis Lawrence, who directed the final three installments in the Hunger Games film series. The role of Snow was played by Donald Sutherland in The Hunger Games films and will be played by Tom Blyth in the prequel. Screenwriter Michael Arndt and producer Nina Jacobson, who worked on all four of the previous Hunger Games films, will also return. In addition to being co-stars, Rivera and Zegler are also a couple in real life. When the news broke earlier today, Zegler shared her excitement on social media. "Never been prouder of someone in my life," Zegler wrote in her Instagram stories.

"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 when Zegler's casting was announced. "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."

"When you read Suzanne's book, Lucy Gray's emotional intelligence, physical agility, and fiercely powerful, determined singing voice shine through. Rachel embodies all of those skills — she is the perfect choice for our Lucy Gray," Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Nathan Kahane, said. In her own statement, Suzanne Collins praised the chance to re-team with the studio on another adaptation of her books: "Lionsgate has always been the cinematic home of The Hunger Games, and I'm delighted to be returning to them with this new book."

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set to open in theaters on November 17, 2023.