Hunger Games Prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Reveals First Teaser Trailer

By Nicole Drum

Earlier this year, Lionsgate confirmed that a prequel to The Hunger Games, titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, will be coming to theaters on November 17, 2023 and last week it was revealed that West Side Story star Rachel Zegler had been cast in the film as Lucy Gray Baird. Now, we're getting a first teaser for the film at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. On Sunday, the MTV Movie & TV Awards Twitter account dropped the short teaser and while it doesn't reveal any footage from the film, it does teas that "in 2023 the world will discover who is a songbird and who is a snake". You can check out the teaser for yourself below.

The film will see follow 18-year old Coriolanus Snow, who would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 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. Tom Blyth will star alongside Zegler. Screenwriter Michael Arndt and producer Nina Jacobson, who worked on all four of the previous Hunger Games films, will also return.

"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," said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Nathan Kahane. 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 November 17, 2023.

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