Everything We Know So Far About The Hunger Games Prequel

Set long before the birth of Katniss Everdeen, the prequel to “The Hunger Games” already has a first trailer, unpublished images, some cast confirmed and a release date. We will see what has been confirmed so far: what it is about, the most relevant actors, and a couple of conjectures about the mysterious protagonist.

Recently, the first images of the prequel to “The Hunger Games” were published on the official Twitter account. In them, we could see Coriolanus and Lucy holding hands and in what looks like a picnic. This image has only spawned a bigger mystery surrounding Snow's history.

We already know that the film will be called “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”. What can we expect from this prequel, in which the young version of the tyrannical Snow appears? Expectations have risen even higher after the latest additions to the cast were confirmed. Here is a summary and an update on everything that is known about the new installment of “The Hunger Games”.

What is the story of the prequel to “The Hunger Games"?

The trailer only leaves more doubts about what is going to happen in the movie. It just shows a snake and a bird covered in snow, which come to life as they thaw. It gets more interesting when we notice the snake trying to catch the bird. What does this teaser mean?

Let us remember that this is a story prior to the ones we already saw on the screen. It is set 64 years before the rebellion started by Katniss Everdeen, with a Panem still suffering the devastating consequences of the war and a Capitol without recovering. In the film, we will closely follow Coriolanus Snow, the future tyrant of Panem. It is a completely different Coriolanus than the one we already know, coming from a rich family in decline and traumatized by war. He will mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the chosen one from District 12, in the next Hunger Games, the Tenths. The odds of winning are stacked against Coriolanus, who wants his ward to win in an attempt to salvage his family situation. The problem is that he has apparently the worst candidate, who doesn't even seem to have combat skills or strategy. However, his life and that of his tribute are already intertwined.

Coriolanus Snow, a Mystery to Solve

Snow is one of the most hated characters in the saga, both by the fandom and by the inhabitants of Panem. He is a tyrant who does not care about the lives of others, and does everything possible to carry out this bloody reality show every year. The curious thing about this adaptation is that it shows a completely different Coriolanus: a son of a family that is about to collapse, an 18-year-old affected by war and a vulnerable person. At what point does this average young man become a power-hungry man? Will we see when he takes over the presidency of Panem? In case we don't know any of this, we will surely understand some of old Snow's attitudes.

But what has caused more expectations is this Coriolanus that seems in love in the published images. Perhaps there is room for love in this post-war story about corruption. Could it be that Snow was once capable of love, or will we simply see his traumas that made him a man hungry for power?

Also read: Jhonny Depp As A Director: This Is What We Know About His Return

The Cast of the Prequel to the Mockingjay Saga

In the role of the director will repeat Francis Lawrence, the same of the last three films of the saga. It is expected to maintain the same line of suspense, mystery, and action that his previous works had. The one who will give life to the young Coriolanus will be Tom Blyth, known for his recent role in “Billy the Kid”. His co-star, Lucy, will be played by Rachel Zegler, the star who debuted in “West Side Story” and who will be the next Snow White in the Disney remake.

In other relevant roles, we have Hunter Schafer as Trigis Snow, the cousin and confidant of young Snow. His social circle widens with Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, his college classmate. For the faces of the influential within the Capitol, we will have Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom, the dean of the Academy and one of the faces of "The Hunger Games". The incredible Viola Davis as Volumnia Gaul will be as the actual creator of the competition.

The cast is promising. We have actors with a long career and young stars, as well as others who are taking off their careers. Blyth and Zegler are two of the young actors who have given the most talk this year for their brilliant performance. For their part, the characters of Dinklage and Davis seem to be made to measure. Both sides have given an interesting depth to the cast, which should highlight the hidden history of the dark days of the Capitol.

On November 17, 2023, we will see the prequel to "The Hunger Games" in theaters around the world. And this date does not seem like a coincidence if we remember that the last three films were released more or less on those days of their respective release years.