Table of Contents
Photo: ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel
On May 19, 2020, Suzanne Collins, bestselling author of the ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy, released to the public the fourth installment by the name of ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’. The book, having the biggest page count in the series, was a prequel that surprisingly told the story of President Snow, the ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy’s main antagonist, as a teen boy getting ready to be a mentor to a tribute in the 10th Hunger Games. The book was an instant hit and fans were excited to see Collins revisit her wildly popular series. With the release of a new ‘Hunger Games’ book came the announcement of a film adaptation with a release date set for November 17, 2023: ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’. Revisiting the ‘Hunger Games’ series in a totally new light, how will this upcoming prequel fare compared to the rest of the ‘Hunger Games’ movies?
The Hunger Games
It is safe to say that Suzanne Collins’s book trilogy and the film adaptations that followed in the early to late 2010s were both huge successes. Not only did Collins’ books receive immense critical reception but the films, all starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, were overnight successes and arguably sparked the genre of teen-novel adaptations that would take the world by storm during the decade. The ‘Hunger Games’ was the 21st highest-grossing film franchise of all time, generating a whopping $2.97 billion dollars across the four movies.
Things to do:
- Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here.
- Limited Time Offer – FREE Subscription to The Hollywood Insider
- Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world – The Hollywood Insider fully focuses on substance and meaningful entertainment, against gossip and scandal, by combining entertainment, education, and philanthropy.
The ‘Hunger Games’ series told the story of an alternate United States, referred to as Panem, split into 12 districts each with differentiating economic statuses and cultures. In Panem, once a year, the Hunger Games are held where 24 tributes, a boy and girl, are taken from each district and forced to fight to the death in a large arena over the course of multiple days. ‘The Hunger Games’, directed by Francis Lawrence and Gary Ross, told the story of protagonist Katniss Everdeen as she volunteers to be a tribute in the Hunger Games in place of her sister who was chosen by a random draw. The film followed as Katniss and her fellow district 12 tribute, Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, fought to survive, and eventually win, the 74th annual Hunger Games. The films that followed explored Katniss and Peeta, being forced into another Hunger Games in ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ and Katniss leading the rebellion against the capitol and overthrowing the Panem government in ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1’ and ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’.
Story and More
At the end of ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’, we see the death and demise of the series’ main antagonist, President Snow (played by Donald Sutherland), who dies at the hands of an angry mob. ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ will take us back nearly 64 years to explore the origin story of an 18-year-old Snow. The story will follow a teen Snow as he is tasked with being a mentor at his university where he will manage a tribute in the Hunger Games by the name of Lucy Gray Baird. We learn early on in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ book that Snow came from a once prestigious background but after the death of his parents lost all his money and was forced to appear more wealthy than he actually is. In order to keep himself through university, Snow is forced to join the mentorship program where the winner will be given a monetary prize that will satisfy what he owes to the school for tuition.
Related article: MUST WATCH – The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s Love Letter to Black Lives Matter – VIDEO
Without giving away any major plot points, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ will explore how Coriolanus Snow goes from a well-meaning young man to the cruel and cutthroat president we see in the later ‘Hunger Games’ books and movies. Despite obviously never mentioning Katniss Everdeen, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ explores why President Snow has such a strange relationship and connection to the young District 12 girl despite the two constantly being at odds with each other. The book also shows the differences between the usual Hunger Games 64 years later versus the 10th annual Hunger Games where tributes were treated poorly and the technology was nowhere near what it once was. Collins’ book does a great job of expanding on the lore of the ‘Hunger Games’ and exploring how the games have developed and altered throughout the years.
More than anything, a prequel story was definitely the best way Collins could have revisited the world of the Hunger Games in an appropriate manner. Considering that ‘The Hunger Games’ is set 64 years before the Hunger Games began, there are plenty of stories before Katniss’ to explore, and telling the origin of someone like Coriolanus Snow, a prominent figure in the previous installments, is an excellent choice.
Related article: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase: “The Importance of Venice Film Festival as the Protector of Cinema”
Related article: The Masters of Cinema Archives: The Hollywood Insider Pays Tribute to ‘La Vie En Rose’, Exclusive Interview with Director Olivier Dahan
Related article: – Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY
Trailer, Casting, and More
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is directed by Francis Lawrence and will star Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow, Rachael Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow, Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom, Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Burn Gorman as Commander Hoff, and Fionnula Flanagan as Grandma’am. The screenplay was written by Suzanne Collins, Michael Arndt, and Michael Lesslie. Cinematography will be by Jo Willems, Editing will be by Mark Yoshikawa, Music will be by James Newton Howard, and the film will once be distributed by Lionsgate. Filming for the upcoming movie began in June of 2022 and is currently ongoing.
On June 5, 2022, a teaser trailer was released of the upcoming project, announcing the upcoming adaptation. At the moment, it is unknown when another trailer will be released or how long the filming process will take for the project. We can likely expect, however, another trailer for the project likely sometime by the end of this year or early next year in 2023. With the project slated for release in November, we have a good year before fans of the ‘Hunger Games’ franchise will see the novel adaptation on the big screen.
By Spencer Hoffman
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
More Interesting Stories From The Hollywood Insider
– Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY
– A Tribute to Martin Scorsese: A Complete Analysis of the Life and Career of the Man Who Lives and Breathes Cinema
– Do you know the hidden messages in ‘Call Me By Your Name’? Find out behind the scenes facts in the full commentary and In-depth analysis of the cinematic masterpiece
– A Tribute To The Academy Awards: All Best Actor/Actress Speeches From The Beginning Of Oscars 1929-2019 | From Rami Malek, Leonardo DiCaprio To Denzel Washington, Halle Berry & Beyond | From Olivia Colman, Meryl Streep To Bette Davis & Beyond
– In the 32nd Year Of His Career, Keanu Reeves’ Face Continues To Reign After Launching Movies Earning Over $4.3 Billion In Total – “John Wick”, “Toy Story 4”, “Matrix”, And Many More
hunger games, hunger games, hunger games, hunger games, hunger games, hunger games, hunger games, hunger games
Author
You might also like…
Spencer Hoffman is a writer for The Hollywood Insider and current film student. He is an avid consumer of cinema and television and enjoys sharing his insight on these topics within his features and reviews. He strongly believes in the power of the written word and the importance of truth in everything. Spencer aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s views of empowerment and raising all types of voices up. He hopes to entertain and incite meaningful conversation with his pieces.
Spencer Hoffman is a writer for The Hollywood Insider and current film student. He is an avid consumer of cinema and television and enjoys sharing his insight on these topics within his features and reviews. He strongly believes in the power of the written word and the importance of truth in everything. Spencer aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s views of empowerment and raising all types of voices up. He hopes to entertain and incite meaningful conversation with his pieces.
