Lionsgate unveiled the much-anticipated trailer for the prequel film, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” at CinemaCon. The trailer introduces the characters Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), vindictive Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), Dean of the Academy and creator of the Hunger Games, and Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis).
The story takes place during the annual reaping ceremony of the 10th Hunger Games, set 64 years before the events of the first film. Lucy represents the impoverished District 12, while 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow serves as her initially reluctant mentor. Snow is a far more complex character in this installment, struggling with his beliefs long before he becomes Panem’s tyrannical president.
When Lucy captures Panem’s attention by fearlessly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow realizes they may be able to use their combined showmanship and newfound political cunning to their advantage. As the duo races against time to survive, the true nature of each character will be revealed.
The prequel delves into themes of freedom and tyranny, good and evil, and the coexistence of these forces. Panem is portrayed as a nation in the process of rebuilding, a decade after a devastating civil war.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is set to hit theaters worldwide on November 17. The film is directed by Francis Lawrence, who also produced it alongside series producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson. “Hunger Games” author Suzanne Collins, Tim Palen, and Jim Miller serve as executive producers.
