The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Snow Will "Break Bad" In Hunger Games Prequel

The Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is set to hit theaters next month and will take fans of Susanne Collins' original saga into the earlier years of Panem and into the life of the future tyrannical President of Panem, Coriolanus Snow. But while Hunger Games fans are used to sinister President, the version they'll meet in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a very different person — and according to the film's director, audiences will get to see the future president "break bad".

"We start in a very different place with Snow," director Francis Lawrence told Total Film (via Gamesradar). "We see a young man who's struggling, and who's part of a family that's lost their fortune. He's putting on an act that he still has money, still has status. He also starts in a much more positive place than you would imagine. It's part of what's fun about the story, that you see him break bad."

"It's a new story, with new ground and new characters," The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes producer Nina Jacobson explained earlier this year. "We were able to create a completely different visual language… one that is still recognizably Panem, but also different and fresh."

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. 

The Hunger Games is Returning to Theaters

Ahead of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Hunger Games is returning to theaters. It was recently announced that Lionsgate is partnering with Fathom Events for a two-night engagement that will bring the films back into theaters. The screenings take place on Sunday, October 15th as well as Wednesday, October 18th.

"There's no better way to whet the appetite for The Hunger Games prequel than with the original Hunger Games," Kevin Grayson, Lionsgate's president of domestic distribution, said in a statement. "We're thrilled to be teaming with Fathom Events to give fans the opportunity to see The Hunger Games in theaters once again."

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set to be released exclusively in theaters on November 17th.