A new Hunger Games movie is on the horizon, and we are ready to return back to the Capitol! Lionsgate has released the first official trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which is scheduled to hit theaters on November 17.
The upcoming prequel comes eight years after The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 and is based on Suzanne Collin's 2020 book of the same title. Loyal Hunger Games followers are ecstatic to get another film dedicated to the series, but this time with a whole different twist. Songbirds & Snakes takes place 64 years before Panem was born, the fictional country that the series is set in, and follows two new (ish) faces instead of the iconic Katniss Everdeen. Although this film might not star the original crew, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, we can't wait to dive deep into the minds of our new favorite characters.
The action-packed trailer begins with Dr. Volumnia Gaul, played by Viola Davis, who introduces the "creator of the Hunger Games themselves," Dean Casca Highbottom, played by Peter Dinklage. His character explains the 10th annual Reaping Ceremony, where two children "from each District" will proceed to "fight to the death in the Hunger Games." West Side Story's Rachel Zegler, Lucy Gray Baird's character, is chosen as the female tribute from District 12, and Tom Blyth, aka young Coriolanus Snow, is her mentor. Snow eventually becomes the villain of the original Hunger Games trilogy as he becomes president of Panem. The trailer shows Snow and Baird's relationship develop through the strenuous Hunger Games process, as well as his grappling with the power of the games. We also first see Euphoria star Hunter Schafer portraying Coriolanus' cousin Tigris.
Every game has a beginning. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes - only in theaters November 17. #TheHungerGames pic.twitter.com/OWtdp2XNnM
— The Hunger Games 🔥 (@TheHungerGames) April 27, 2023
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The trailer concludes with an eerie voiceover from Donald Sutherland, who originally played Coriolanus Snow in the franchise, saying, "It's the things we love most that destroy us." Audiences get an idea of a different Panem, more outdated, less future-tech, and glamorous, all while maintaining the authoritative Capitol mentality. As the release date approaches, we volunteer as tribute to head to the theaters and watch the latest Hungers Games film on November 17!