Distinguishing Features: A Closer Look at the Differences Between 'Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' and 'The Hunger Games'

Article Summary

Director Francis Lawrence aims to keep each installment of The Hunger Games franchise different through emotional and visual differences.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a prequel, showcases a simpler arena filled with debris, departing from the futuristic settings of the earlier movies.

In a similar vein to Catching Fire, the film centers around a character's quest to locate their friend, setting the stage for an equally frantic and tumultuous beginning to the games.

Francis Lawrence has prior experience in bringing Suzanne Collins' brutal and violent young adult series, The Hunger Games, to the silver screen. Having directed three films already, including The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and both parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Lawrence is now working on the upcoming prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. In an interview with Perri Nemiroff from our website, Lawrence discusses the challenge of making the games feel different while also paying tribute to the previous films.

When reflecting on his past work, Lawrence explains that he always strives to make each film feel "different". He emphasizes the importance of creating a unique emotional experience for the audience, especially since Catching Fire is the second installment in the series. Additionally, Lawrence mentions that the visual elements of the games, such as the arena, also need to be distinct from the previous film. Moving on to The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Lawrence describes the prequel's approach to the games as basic and rudimentary. Instead of elaborate elevators and glass pods, the participants are brought in at gunpoint or dragged in if necessary. The arena itself is characterized by rubble and destruction due to previous explosions. Lawrence expresses excitement over crafting this different atmosphere for the prequel.

What is 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' About?

The futuristic high-tech equipment that was used in the previous movies to transport the tributes to their battle positions won't be featured in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. However, the story will still mirror that of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). According to Lawrence, "This is actually quite similar to Catching Fire – the main character, Rachel [Zegler], is also searching for her friend. If you recall from Catching Fire, Katniss was in the same situation, trying to locate Peeta without knowing his whereabouts. So, there are these two parallel similarities." Essentially, the filmmaker is assuring viewers that they will experience the same overwhelming panic, chaos, and confusion that occur at the beginning of the Hunger Games, even without the use of a handheld shaky cam.

Rather than introducing Donald Sutherland's Coriolanus Snow as the oppressive ruler of Panem in the original film series, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes delves into his backstory. Portrayed by Tom Blyth, the movie introduces an 18-year-old Coriolanus who is assigned the task of mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler) from District 12 for the 10th annual Hunger Games. Joining Blyth and Zegler on the cast are Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder), Jason Schwartzman (The Darjeeling Limited), and Hunter Schafer (Euphoria).

Don't miss the highly anticipated release of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbird & Snakes in theaters on November 17. Reserve your tickets now.

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Watch Nemiroff's full interview with Lawrence:

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place long before the time of Katniss Everdeen and Coriolanus Snow's rise to power in Panem. In this prequel, we follow the story of a young Coriolanus, the last hope for his dwindling Snow family. The once-respected family now finds themselves fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. Facing the threat of losing his livelihood, Coriolanus is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from the poverty-stricken District 12. However, when Lucy Gray's charm captivates Panem's audience, Coriolanus sees an opportunity to change their fortunes. With everything at stake, he joins forces with Lucy Gray, battling his own conflicting instincts of good and evil. Together, they race against time to survive and discover whether Coriolanus will ultimately embrace the role of a songbird or a snake.

Editor's P/S

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy, and it promises to be a thrilling and action-packed film. The film is set in the same world as the original trilogy, but it takes place 64 years earlier, during the 10th annual Hunger Games. The story follows Coriolanus Snow, who is a young man who is chosen to be a mentor for Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12.

The film will explore the origins of the Hunger Games and how they came to be. It will also show how Coriolanus Snow became the ruthless dictator that he is in the original trilogy. The film is sure to be a hit with fans of the original trilogy, and it will be interesting to see how the story of the Hunger Games is expanded upon.