The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is an upcoming movie set in The Hunger Games universe. So, what is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes about, and will Katniss Everdeen be in the film? Here’s what we know!
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What Is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes About?
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes follows Coriolanus Snow and his life before he became the President of Panem.
In The Hunger Games prequel, Snow is a mentor for the 10th Hunger Games. He gets assigned to District 12’s tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, and forms a connection with her.
The official synopsis for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes reads:
"Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.
With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from impoverished District 12.
But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy Gray’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake."
READ MORE: How Old Is Snow During The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
Will Katniss Be in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place 64 years before The Hunger Games. The prequel is set decades before Katniss' birth, so she will not be in the movie.
Katniss’ presence, however, will still be felt in the prequel. In the trailers for the movie, there are Katniss Everdeen easter eggs.
In the first trailer for the film, Rachel Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird mockingly curtsies in the same way Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen did in the Hunger Games films.
The second trailer features Zegler’s rendition of “The Hanging Tree”, which was first sung by Lawrence’s Katniss in Mockingjay – Part 1.
Additionally, director Francis Lawrence told Vanity Fair:
“You get a little background of Katniss. You will obviously get a lot of the background of Snow, the history of the Games, the history of some of the music, where songs like ‘The Hanging Tree’ actually come from.”
So, even though Katniss Everdeen will not be in the film, her presence will still be felt.
Will There Be Another Hunger Games Movie with Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen?
While Jennifer Lawrence expressed interest in returning to her role as Katniss Everdeen, both franchise producer Nina Jacobson and director Francis Lawrence think Katniss’ story is complete.
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Jacobson said:
“If Suzanne has something to say, then she’ll write a book about it. Honestly, as much as I love Katniss, I think her story is complete. And I think that Suzanne feels that her story is complete.
But if that changes, and Suzanne has something she wants to say, and it involves Katniss, then I would be thrilled. But really any chance to be back in this world, and lead with Francis and Suzanne, I would take regardless of who it was about.”
Additionally, director Lawrence told Yahoo Entertainment:
“What I’ve always loved is that Suzanne usually writes these things because she has a thematic idea she wants to explore. So I think that if for whatever reason she had some thematic idea that made sense to tell another Katniss story, I’d be in, and then I’m sure Jen would be in. But it really all comes from theme and idea, and Suzanne.”
It is unlikely that there will be another Hunger Games movie with Katniss. More movies in the franchise after the prequel will likely still be set in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes timeline, and not after the events of Mockingjay – Part 2.
But if Suzanne Collins does write another book involving Katniss, then we could probably expect another Hunger Games movie with Jennifer Lawrence in it.
You can watch the trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes below:
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