Viola Davis Stuns in the New "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Trailer
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Welcome back to Panem. The second full trailer for the highly anticipated Hunger Games prequel movie "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" arrived on Sept. 20, and it brings into harsh relief the dilemma posed to young Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth. As a student in the Capitol, he's assigned to be one of the mentors in the 10th Hunger Games, and he's watched closely by Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head Gamemaker for the 10th annual Hunger Games. Gual is brought to life by none other than Oscar winner Viola Davis, and she brings a menacing coldness to the trailer as she tries to guide and warn Coriolanus. He, meanwhile, has his hands full with his tribute, Lucy Gray Baird from District 12, played by Rachel Zegler. The trailer also features a new version of "The Hanging Tree," the protest song that played a major role in the original Hunger Games story. Lionsgate also released a new poster and new first-look images for the film.
The "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" cast features some big names, including Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom, dean of Coriolanus's academy and coauthor of the Hunger Games. "Euphoria" star Hunter Schafer also stars in the film as Tigris Snow, Coriolanus's cousin and confidante who advises him on everything. On Sept. 6, Lionsgate released new character posters for the film that show off the cast. The first trailer for the film dropped back in April.
The forthcoming movie is based on Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins's prequel of the same name that was released in May 2020. The story's events take place 64 years before the original novels and films and only 10 years after Panem's first rebellion. While Katniss Everdeen's Panem is under harsh government control, this Panem is still grappling with the aftereffects of the war.
The original Hunger Games movies starred Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, the unlikely and reluctant hero who becomes the symbol of a revolution. Lawrence was joined by Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Amandla Stenberg, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, and "Daisy Jones and the Six" star Sam Claflin. Donald Sutherland played the menacing President Coriolanus Snow in the original films.
Read ahead for everything we know about "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" so far, including the cast, trailer, release date, and more.
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Trailer #2
Lionsgate released the second trailer for the Hunger Games prequel on Sept. 20.
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Trailer #1
Lionsgate released the first full trailer for the film on April 28.
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Poster #2
Lionsgate released a poster that shows off the whole cast on Sept. 20.
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Poster
Lionsgate released its second poster for the movie on April 28.
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Teaser Poster
Lionsgate released a teaser poster for the film on March 25.
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Cast
In "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes," Rachel Zegler plays Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth stars as young Coriolanus Snow. Hunter Schafer plays Snow's cousin Tigris Snow. Josh Andrés Rivera, who starred in "West Side Story" with Zegler, portrays Sejanus Plinth, Coriolanus's friend. Additionally, Peter Dinklage plays Casca Highbottom, dean of the Academy, and Viola Davis stars as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaker. The film's trailer also revealed that Jason Schwartzman plays Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman, Hunger Games host and ancestor of Stanley Tucci's Caesar Flickerman in the original films.
Per Deadline, others in the film's cast include Fionnula Flanagan, who will star as young Coriolanus's strict grandmother, Grandma'am; Isobel Jesper Jones as Mayfair Lipp, daughter of the mayor of District 12; Flora Li Thiemann as Livia Carden, a mentor to a tribute from District 1; Honor Gillies as Barb Azure; Eike Onyambu as Tam Amber; Konstantin Taffet as Clerk Carmine; Burn Gorman as Commander Hoff; Scott Folan as Beanpole; Carl Spencer as Smiley; and Michael Greco and Daniela Grubert as Strabo Plinth and Mrs. Plinth, respectively — wealthy parents to Sejanus Plinth, Coriolanus's best friend.
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Release Date
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" is set to be released on Nov. 17.
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Director and Writer
Francis Lawrence, who directed three of the original four The Hunger Games movies, will direct "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes." According to Lionsgate, the newest version of the screenplay is by Michael Lesslie and is based on Collins's novel and the original script by Michael Arndt.
Tom Blyth "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Poster
Rachel Zegler "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Poster
Viola Davis "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Poster
Peter Dinklage "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Poster
Hunter Schafer "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Poster
Jason Schwartzman "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Poster
Josh Andrés Rivera "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" Poster
"The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" First-Look Photos
Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Blyth as Coriolanus Snow lie together in this first photo from "The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes," released in August 2022.