Rachel Zegler Cast in The Hunger Games Prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

By Russ Burlingame

It's been a little over a month since confirmation came that Lionsgate is working on a prequel to The Hunger Games, titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Based on the novel of the same name from The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins. The West Side Story actress had got fans talking about it on Monday night after tweeting "listen up..... can y'all grow restfully? are you becoming an individual resting decisively?" Fans saw the perplexing tweet and quickly figured out that the first letter of each word in her tweet spells out the main character's name, Lucy Gray Baird.

There is no set release date for the film yet. Given that they are already casting -- and with some big names -- it seems likely it will head into production soon.

You can see her tweet below.

Not long before making it official last month, director Francis Lawrence had hinted that he could be returning to the Hunger Games franchise last fall. Also returning to the Hunger Games movie franchise will be screenwriter Michael Arndt and producer Nina Jacobson, who worked on all four of Lionsgate's Hunger Games movies, to the total sum of a $3 billion box office haul.

"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," said Francis Lawrence. "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 praise 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."

Here's a small teaser for what The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will deliver, as we meet Coriolanus Snow as "a teenager born to privilege but searching for something more, a far cry from the man we know he will become. Here, he's friendly. He's charming. And, for now anyway, he's a hero." You can read a small excerpt from the book, below (courtesy of EW):

"The grand staircase up to the Academy could hold the entire student body, so it easily accommodated the stream of officials, professors, and students headed for the reaping day festivities. Coriolanus climbed it slowly, attempting a casual dignity in case he caught anyone's eye. People knew him—or at least they had known his parents and grandparents—and there was a certain standard expected of a Snow. This year, beginning this very day, he was hoping to achieve personal recognition as well. Mentoring in the Hunger Games was his final project before graduating from the Academy in midsummer. If he gave an impressive performance as a mentor, with his outstanding academic record, Coriolanus should be awarded a monetary prize substantial enough to cover his tuition at the University."

h/t Variety

0comments
Start the Conversation

of