The Hunger Games The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes trailer brings back Panem's favourite bloodsport with all-new cast

The trailer of the first Hunger Games prequel, titled The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was unveiled on Friday. The film follows the story of 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow during the tenth annual Hunger Games as he reluctantly mentors Lucy, a tribute from District 12. The original Hunger Games films, based on the novel trilogy, earned close to $3 billion at the box office.

The trailer shows a young 18-year-old Coryo Snow, years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem. His attempts to safeguard the fading lineage of his house aren’t working and he is further taken aback when asked to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from impoverished District 12, ahead of the 10^th Hunger Games. But as Lucy proves herself to be equal to the task, she and Snow must race against time to succeed.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is headlined by Emmy Award winner Peter Dinklage, best known for his performance in Game of Thrones. Alongside him is Academy Award winner Viola Davis. Tom Blyth is set to take over the mantle from Donald Sutherland, to embody a younger Coriolanus Snow. The film, also stars Hunter Schafer, Rachel Zelger, Josh Andres Rivera and Jason Schwartzman.

In conversation with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Rachel Zegler opened up about how she initially turned down the role of Lucy. She said, “Let me tell you because it’s such an embarrassing story for me. I was offered the role in January of last year after wanting it so badly. I didn’t audition, it was just, I got a call from my agent that was like ‘Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games franchise director) wants you to do this’.”

The Hunger Games is a set of three novels from Suzanne Collins. The first film based on the original book – The Hunger Games – was released in 2012, followed by Catching Fire (2013), Mockingjay Part 1 (2014) and Mockingjay Part 2 (2015). Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, the films were a huge success. The prequel was announced in 2019. Lionsgate and PVR Pictures 2023 will release The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in theatres on November 17, 2023.

(With IANS inputs)