Photo Source: IMDb.com
All around the world, The Hunger Games readers and watchers alike are heading to the theater to catch the newest movie addition to the franchise: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It has been eight years since Mockingjay – Part 2 came out as a movie, and since then fans have been eager to watch the (mostly) beloved characters of Panem come to life again on the big screen.
The Hunger Games will always be seen as one of the most influential dystopian series for the way it has paved the way for several other dystopian movies and books. Author Suzanne Collins first released The Hunger Games in 2008, and it only went uphill from there. The year after came Catching Fire, and then the finale to the trilogy, Mockingjay, in 2010. When the the first book came out as a movie in 2012, the series reached a new audience of film-lovers. According to Box Office Mojo, The Hunger Games was ranked third for Domestic Box Office in 2012. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson brought the beloved characters of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark to life, and continued to do so in the following three films (Catching Fire, Mockingjay – Part 1, and Mockingjay – Part 2).
In the year of 2020, Suzanne Collins released The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Only it wasn’t a sequel to the story of Katniss and Peeta – fans were surprised to find out that it was a prequel that takes place during the 10th annual Hunger Games (just for perspective: the original trilogy starts during the 74th Hunger Games). With most of us stuck in quarantine, fans were eager to read the new release and to enter the world of Panem again through the addictive writing of Collins.
Fans were even more baffled to find out that the main character of the prequel is Coriolanus Snow, who is the main antagonist of the original trilogy. Many were confused – I mean, who would want to read about the man who was responsible for all the deaths of the series’ most beloved characters? But along with being reluctant, fans were also curious. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes offers a view into the backstory of Snow and who he was before he became the awful, power-hungry villain we all know from the trilogy. The prequel also offers insight on how the Hunger Games have evolved throughout the years, and the differences between the arena, mentor processes, and more.
Along with following the story of young Coriolanus Snow, the fandom is introduced to a new and complex character: Lucy Gray Baird. A rebellious and lively teenager, she’s the female tribute from District 12 (sound familiar?) for the 10th Hunger Games. Snow is made her mentor, and they work together for Lucy to make it out of the Games alive. Although, it ends up being much more than just that. And because Lucy Gray is so similar to Katniss Everdeen, readers can piece together the motives for Snow’s hatred that drives his actions in the original trilogy.
Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blythe) and Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
In the US, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes first appeared on the big screen on November 17. The movie stars talented and well-known actors, including Rachel Zegler, Tom Blythe, Hunter Schafer, and Peter Dinklage. Music from the film comes from well-known artist Olivia Rodrigo as well as Rachel Zegler herself. Fans all around the world are rereading the books and rewatching the movies, preparing to enter their favorite dystopian world once again.