The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Rachel Zegler has offered a glimpse behind the scenes of the Hunger Games prequel. Coming courtesy of the official Instagram account for The Hunger Games Series, Zegler takes us on a tour of the production currently underway on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which will serve as a prequel to the hugely successful Hunger Games franchise. Check out the footage below.
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“I volunteer as tribute,” Zegler says in a caption alongside the delightful tour of set. “here’s a first look on set of #TheHungerGames The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” While the footage does not give away too much, it does confirm that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will make the same effort to create the sprawling grand, dystopian society at the center of The Hunger Games tale. Revealing lots of practical sets, extravagant costumes, and a large cast, the footage also offers another look at Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow.
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A prequel to the popular Hunger Games franchise and based on the book by author Suzanne Collins, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will focus on an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, the man who will become the tyrannical President of Panem, played in the movie series by Donald Sutherland. Far from the evil overlord audiences are familiar with, Coriolanus was once a member of one of the richest families in the Capitol but is now an orphan living in destitution with his grandmother and cousin.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes finds Coriolanus being given an opportunity to change his fortune when he is chosen to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from the impoverished District 12. Determined to make an impression, as his success in the games will likely guarantee the monetary prize he needs to attend the University, Coriolanus will do anything to emerge victorious.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is Scheduled to be Released Next Year
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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will boast a large ensemble cast led by Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird. The prequel will feature an assortment of talent alongside the pair, with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ supporting cast featuring Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Hunter Schafer, Burn Gorman, Fionnula Flanagan, and Josh Andrés Rivera.
The rest of the cast includes the likes of Isobel Jesper Jones, Dakota Shapiro, Vaughan Reilly, George Somner, Carl Spencer, Scott Folan, Honor Gillies, Eike Onyambu, Konstantin Taffet, Michael Greco, and Daniela Grubert.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set to be directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed the majority of The Hunger Games franchise, working from a screenplay by Michael Arndt. “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 of Zegler’s casting. “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.”
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is scheduled for release in the United States on November 17, 2023.
