The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes

Experience the story of The Hunger Games - 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as Tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem - in The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes.

The new big-screen adventure follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth), the last hope for the once-proud Snow family, whose failing lineage has spelled a fall from grace in a postwar Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow reluctantly accepts the assignment to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) - a Tribute from the impoverished District 12 - in the 10th Hunger Games. But after Lucy Gray's charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift both their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal whether he will ultimately become a songbird... or a snake.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes offers an original landscape that takes the series into uncharted territory while remaining thematically connected to the other films in the franchise. The prequel examines Panem's past and unearths all the rich history referenced in the previous films through the eyes of a young Coriolanus Snow, whose story becomes the throughline across all previous Hunger Games films.

The Ballad Of A Beloved Franchise

The blockbuster Hunger Games saga has thrilled and captured the imaginations of audiences around the world for over 15 years. Its enthralling story and captivating mythology speak to all ages, and have turned the film series into a global phenomenon.

The franchise has grossed $1.45 billion domestically and is approaching a global box office of $3 billion. Of course, it was born from a publishing phenomenon, with over 100 million copies of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy books sold.

Now, audiences will finally see how this world came to be, through the origin story of Coriolanus Snow.

Everything you know and love about The Hunger Games begins with The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes. Within an expansive canvas, the film explores the duality of spirit - songbird and snake - within us all. We are light and dark, good, and evil, joy and sorrow - a fusion of feathers and scales. Every decision we make propels us down a path that reveals our true selves.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes is the fifth installment in the franchise. It is directed by Francis Lawrence, who returns to, and expands upon, this incredible world after directing The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and 2. The film is shepherded by franchise producer Nina Jacobson, who produces for Color Force along with Brad Simpson.

This installment brings together an all-new cast in Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid), Golden Globe® winner Rachel Zegler (2022, Best Actress - Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy, West Side Story), four-time Emmy® winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), Josh Andrés Rivera (West Side Story), Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore), and Academy Award® winner Viola Davis (2016, Best Supporting Actress, Fences).

Upon its publication, Suzanne Collins's The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes became an instant best-seller, embraced by the legions of fans who had read her three wildly successful Hunger Games novels: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. Collins's new story expands upon the Hunger Games timeline, visiting the rocky beginnings of the sensationalist broadcast of the Games.

This sharp, timely installment explores a turning point in Panem's postwar restructuring and the fortification of its authoritarian government.

Collins was still writing the novel when she reached out to director Francis Lawrence. As the filmmaker remembers, "Suzanne began by telling me, simply, 'I've been writing a book.' I was thrilled to hear this because I, along with countless Hunger Games fans, thought it would be fantastic to make another installment exploring the world of The Hunger Games - and we always felt that it would have to come from Suzanne. The fact that she called me up and to have her be reinspired and bring us back into the fold with rich thematic materials was exciting."

Indeed, The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes offers the same thought-provoking richness as the books that preceded it, and takes the series into fresh, unknown territory. Collins's novel examines the early days of the Games, the origins of Panem's authoritarianism, and the invention of rituals that create an obedient society.

The novel looks back at a young Coriolanus Snow and his days as a student, as he begins his journey that will ultimately take him to the presidency of Panem. Producer Nina Jacobson comments: "I was very taken with trying to understand the allure of why a person, like the young Snow, might choose authoritarianism. You're not born the person you become; you're shaped into the person you become. I could see how a country can turn towards authoritarianism when people decide that they feel safer when the state is in control."

Jacobson and Lawrence were eager to unearth Panem's rich history that Collins referenced in the previous novels. Lawrence notes, "When we were making the original movies, Nina and I would often talk about the dark days and wars that led to the Hunger Games, and to their very creation. Suzanne had built such an incredible mythology and history to that world. The stories in The Hunger Games films are all about the consequences of war. They investigate its different aspects, and as you go through the series, you get further and further into concepts like PTSD, propaganda, the loss of people you love, and the disappearance of a way of life."

Despite its close thematic connection to the other films in the series, The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes offers an original storytelling landscape. "The blood that runs through the first four movies runs through the veins of this one," Jacobson says. "To show a different side at a different time has been really exciting, especially because it fills in the stories you know as it sweeps you up into its own narrative."

The film's timeline offered the filmmakers a different perspective on Panem. "Seeing Panem through a young Snow's eyes has been a complete paradigm shift for us," Jacobson states. "The Capitol, though still in power, is recovering from the effects of a war that is a distant memory in Katniss's stories, but a recent one for Snow. To see the formative influences, and to see how Snow is shaped by those people, and by his unexpected relationship with Lucy Gray Baird, casts a new light on his relationship with Katniss and on the future of Panem."

Collins's book and the new film also explore the genesis of the showmanship and nascent spectacle of the Games, and how tradition can have surprising origins. Lawrence says, "We enjoyed building this world. The story takes place so early in the history of the Hunger Games that there are many things that audiences experienced in the original movies that don't yet exist. We deconstruct the Games and go back in time to see how they evolved. We depict how the landscape of the arena has changed, how the Capitol starts to influence the games, and how the Panem audiences begin to participate in the Games, instead of just watching them. It was creatively satisfying to scale back on the technology and drill down to these raw fundamentals."

As screenwriters Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt crafted the sprawling adaptation of Collins's tome, Lawrence and the producers set out to find the actors to fill the central roles.

Mentors & Tributes

Tom Blyth portrays the young Coriolanus, starring opposite Rachel Zegler in the role of Lucy Gray Baird, who is a Tribute from the impoverished District 12.

The 18-year-old Coriolanus is given the job of mentoring Lucy Gray for the fast-approaching 10th annual Hunger Games, and he soon realises that her enigmatic wit and warmth have the capability to not only captivate the crowd but perhaps give them both the opportunity to overcome their circumstances. The two spark an unexpected romance, and, as the Games get underway, take risks and break rules to charm the Capitol audiences, ultimately winning over Panem's hearts and minds. Though their relationship begins in the arena, it quickly grows beyond what the spectators can see, leaving Coriolanus at odds with himself as he makes choices that presage the man he will become. By journey's end, as we already know, the boy is gone. The tyrant is rising. Snow lands on top.

Blyth takes on the role previously embodied (in a scenario set decades later) by Donald Sutherland. Blyth, a Juilliard graduate who stars in the series "Billy the Kid," read Collins's novel in preparation for his auditions. "After reading the first chapter, I was hooked," he says.

"Coriolanus is such a complex character. We see him go from this young man who is troubled and fighting for his family, to someone with a driving and dark ambition."

Snow begins his journey under the humblest circumstances, as his once-proud family has fallen from grace in a postwar Capitol. This humble upbringing, and its accompanying social pressures, are part of what shapes him into the eventual President of Panem.

"The story opens with his family at the precipice of serious hunger," explains Blyth. "It's the end of the war, and they've been trying to scrape back some semblance of life within this cityscape that is demolished. Coriolanus will do whatever it takes to get his Grandma'am and cousin, Tigris, out of that place. But that gives way to him becoming someone who will do anything just to get to the top."

Snow struggles with his identity as he tries to navigate a corrupt society. He is torn between his desire for power and his moral compass, ultimately leading him to make difficult, all-but-impossible choices. The dystopian world of The Hunger Games demands conformity at all costs, but Snow remains determined, at least initially, to be true to himself.

Producer Nina Jacobson speaks of casting and says, "Tom was a revelation to us. Coriolanus Snow was a very hard role to cast. The person clearly had to have the capacity for darkness, as an actor. But you still want to believe that he could break good. And then you meet an actor, like Tom Blyth, who brings enough authenticity and specificity to his performance, that he can both feel like he could actually go another way."

Speaking of being on-set, Blyth says "There are so many moving parts and yet Francis somehow keeps his cool the entire time. I've never seen a director do this before in my life."

Despite his family's impoverishment, Snow attends The Academy, where the Capitol elite train to become future leaders. But his path takes a turn when the powers that be announce a new mentorship program in the Hunger Games, denying Snow a desperately needed scholarship.

The Reaping commences, introducing Snow to his Tribute: District 12's Lucy Gray Baird. "Lucy Gray is an enigmatic character who shines above everyone else," Blyth says. "The moment Coriolanus meets Lucy, something clicks in him that he's never felt before. His ambition of wanting Lucy Gray to win grows with his love for her, which he's never experienced. Those things make him fight like hell to get her through the Hunger Games and out the other side."

As Snow mentors Lucy Gray, he begins to question everything he knows about the Games and his role in them. Initially, Lucy Gray represents hope for a better future, and her talents enchant Snow and the crowds watching the Games. Snow becomes her ally, and as they navigate the deadly Games, he soon realises there's more to life than winning at all costs.

Their united showmanship changes the Games' dynamics forever, and they transition from a tournament of survival to a spectacle of tyranny and decadence.

The relationship also offers depth, casting a new light on Snow's connection years later to Katniss Everdeen (who also hails from Lucy Gray's District 12) while foreshadowing the future of Panem. Both Lucy Gray and Katniss command the crowd's attention during their respective Games - one with a tenacious bravery and authentic poise, the other with an instinctual showmanship and political savvy. Lucy Gray is a skillful musician and charmer who presents an unprecedented courage in the Games, offering solace to Coriolanus in a war-torn, brutal world that makes their love story both beautiful and tragic.

Rachel Zegler, star of West Side Story, plays Lucy Gray Baird, Snow's Tribute from District 12.

"The words that come to my mind are 'mercurial' and 'witty,'" Zegler says of her character. "The way I approached Lucy Gray was that she's only there for her family, her friends, and herself. That's why her relationship with Coriolanus is so interesting. We're led to believe, by the lyrics of her songs, that she's been wronged by many people, particularly by men. So, she is hesitant to trust, and challenges Snow to rise to her level of intimidation."

With a defiant act of daring, Snow begins to win her over. "Lucy Gray starts to see what it's like to put someone else's needs before her own, and she's living with her whole heart," Zegler says. "But when she starts to see traits in Coriolanus that she may not find trustworthy, she must put herself first and make impossible decisions."

"Another connection between Lucy Gray and Coriolanus is through performance," adds Jacobson. "They both realise that the cameras are always on them during the Games, and that they can make each other look good to everyone watching. Their relationship is born in performance and they're able to shift gears and put on the face they need when they need it. But they see each other through all that."

Speaking of his co-star, Blyth says "She's very charming. She brings a lot of, kind of, raw, fiery energy to what she does, which is exactly what Lucy Gray needs."

As with many members of the cast, the Hunger Games novels were required reading for Zegler growing up. "My mom insisted that my sister and I read the books," Zegler confirms. "I quickly became a huge fan of the books, and then a fan of the films. When Suzanne announced a new Hunger Games book, I was so excited."

Zegler appreciated Collins's depictions of Katniss and Lucy Gray as "anti-establishment and anti-government, and always standing up for what's right without an air of sweetness or even cordiality," she elaborates. "They are very rough-around-the-edges. Reading about Katniss was an incredible thing to have growing up, and I'm so grateful to Suzanne Collins for that and so much more."

Lawrence draws some distinct differences between the two protagonists. "Lucy Gray has a lot of life experience, which Katniss didn't possess," he explains. "Lucy Gray is also quite mysterious, whereas Katniss was internal and quiet."

The Games' Dark Architect

Academy Award® winner Viola Davis steps into the role of Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Academy instructor and Head Gamesmaker. In the Games' tenth year, Dr. Gaul spearheads initiatives to increase the Capitol public's investment - personal and financial - in the Games. Under her watchful eye, early versions of betting, sponsorships, and mentors are introduced to make the Games more entertaining, assuring they continue to serve their purpose.

The Games are needed every year, she posits, to show us who we truly are.

Gaul is nothing less than the architect of the Games, the society so entranced by them - and of the man she will mentor as he begins his rise to power...Coriolanus Snow.

Gaul is also a figure of boundless cruelty and the mastermind behind the Capitol's experimental weapons division. Her lab hosts a horrifying menagerie of genetically altered animals called muttations. Gaul has a particularly twisted use for her venomous snakes - the first use of mutts within the Games.

Lawrence defines Davis's unique qualities that made her right for the role. "Viola lends a visceral, intense, and compelling quality to everything she does. There's such power to her, no matter what the situation."

"But her Dr. Gaul is not all-powerful," Lawrence continues. "She's quirky and sometimes says weird things, like little rhymes. Gaul can also be quite scary and has a sinister quality that's underneath. She finds joy in her inventions, even if they're all about inflicting pain or punishment."

"I've been a big fan of Viola for years. She's got so much gravitas but she's generous in the way she works," says Tom Blyth who shares an alma mater with Davis. "She brings this kind of explorative nature to her work."

Helping create Gaul's striking look were prosthetics makeup designers Jörn Seifert and Tamar Aviv, hair designer Nikki Gooley, and makeup designer Sherri Berman Laurence.

Gooley says the process of transforming Davis into the character began with aging makeup. "We added gray to Viola's hair - a silver streak - and gave her some '40s-style shapes." Then, Davis requested a trait that came to define the character, as Sherri Berman Laurence explains, "Viola wanted two different-colored eyes, with one being a striking ice blue."

Another significant figure in Snow's life is the Academy's morally conflicted dean, Highbottom. Four-time Emmy® winner Peter Dinklage, who takes on the role, says he responded to the story's contemporary themes. "Everything it deals with is timely, such as the lust for power and the ruthlessness expressed in that pursuit."

But Highbottom also bears the burden of guilt for setting the games into motion, along with Snow's deceased father, a once-powerful figure in the Capitol. The Games began as a joke, to devise a punishment so extreme that the Districts and rebellion can never forget how badly they wronged Panem.

"I love the tragedy in Highbottom because he's dealing with the guilt of the consequences of co-creating the Games, because it's now out of his control. The genie has been uncorked and running mad and he can't get it back in," says Dinklage.

It was Snow's father, Crassus, who took Highbottom's idea for the Hunger Games - offered jokingly by the latter - and ran with it. It was nothing less than a betrayal that would have ramifications for decades to come. "Crassus and Gaul took advantage of Highbottom's intelligence and used it for darker purposes," says Dinklage.

So, it's unsurprising that Highbottom looks down upon his now-deceased foe's scion. "To Highbottom, Coriolanus represents his father; he looks and sounds and behaves like him, at least in my mind," Dinklage notes. "Highbottom has a feeling that history is going to repeat itself, and he doesn't trust this young man and has an eye on him for good reason."

"Peter Dinklage is genuinely one of the best actors I have ever met and had the privilege of working with. He loves the craft of acting. And so, you go into a scene with him, and you can't help but love it, too," says Blyth.

Highbottom is further defined by his addiction to morphling, a powerful painkiller used in the treatment of severe injuries and illnesses. "He's created this madness - the Games - under the influence," Dinklage emphasises. Highbottom has gone ever deeper down the rabbit hole of addiction - and he doesn't care anymore who knows it."

"Peter was really into the idea of Highbottom having sunken eyes and blotchy red skin tone," says Sherri Laurence. "Highbottom gets progressively worse as the Games unfold. Peter was really into making the character look drugged-out."

The character's lack of interest in his appearance is further evidenced, claims Gooley, in his "mad professor-like mop of hair. It's messy, sweaty, disheveled, and a little bit crazy."

Capitol Citizens

Josh Andrés Rivera, Rachel Zegler's West Side Story co-star, plays Sejanus Plinth, Snow's fellow Academy student and another Tribute mentor. With that mentorship, and despite hailing from a now wealthy and powerful family, Sejanus finds himself pushed into a situation that forces him to assert his allegiance and devotion to the Capitol. Rivera says, "With the introduction of mentorship, there's one piece of home that ends up getting thrown in his face in the worst way: his Tribute, Marcus. That complicates things for Sejanus, infinitely. Before he even knows that Marcus is his Tribute, he's already disgusted with the process of the games."

Snow and Sejanus forge a bond, despite their different upbringings. "Coriolanus is the closest thing that Sejanus can call a friend," Rivera points out. "Sejanus understands and is sympathetic to Coriolanus's rough upbringing. Sejanus can recognise it where other people can't. That becomes a connection he latches onto."

While Snow's moral compass becomes compromised, Sejanus is resolute in his belief that all Panem residents are "deserving of rights and should be free," Lawrence points out. "He believes government should protect us, and not rule with an iron fist - and certainly not send kids into an arena to kill each other. So, he tries to prevent Coriolanus from embracing what Gaul is teaching."

Jason Schwartzman plays Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman, who, like his descendant Caesar Flickerman, memorably played by Stanley Tucci in the previous films, is all but synonymous with The Hunger Games. Lucky, a weatherman and amateur magician, steps into the spotlight as the first host for the broadcast of The Hunger Games. "I've longed for someone to make Stanley and me family," Schwartzman, a longtime fan of Tucci, says with a laugh.

Schwartzman then sets the table for the key role that Lucky will play in elevating the Games to a spectacle. "The previous nine Games have not had much attention or viewership. The powers that be at the Capitol want to find ways of getting more people to tune in. So, they assign graduating Academy students as mentors to the Tributes and use Snow's ideas to make the mentors part of the game."

"Then, they decide to have a host for the first time, and that's where Lucky comes in," he continues. "He's just a weatherman and amateur magician, but somehow, Lucky gets the gig. The idea of a host works because the games obviously work, because as we see in the previous films, they're onto the 74th and 75th Hunger Games.

"Best of all, hosting becomes a kind of family business for the Flickermans!"

What's Lucky's ... trick ... in getting the coveted assignment? "Well," as a magician, and his biggest trick is distracting everyone from what's really occurring in the Games," replies Schwartzman. "That's the illusion; Lucky is helping turn something barbaric into entertainment and spectacle."

As the Games progress, Lucky's look evolves. "His mustache becomes longer, even though only a few days have transpired," cites Sherri Berman Laurence, with Gooley adding, "Lucky's hair is very structured, and quickly grows into something quite involved."

Hunter Schafer plays Snow's cousin Tigris, a role originated by Eugenie Bondurant in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2. Tigris has unflinching faith in Coriolanus, and in his character. "She believes in Coryo," Schafer points out. "Tigris thinks he can go all the way in the world of the Capitol, and even in the Hunger Games, and still be a good person. Her faith in Coryo is so strong that I think the audience will feel the same. We're all rooting for him to do the right thing and make it."

"Tigris believes everybody deserves rights, love, respect, and to be valued," echoes Lawrence. "She and Coriolanus are more like siblings; they have that kind of bond. They've relied upon one another, as they grew up together after the war."

Blyth found Schafer to be a perfect scene partner. "Hunter is so fresh, every time. Each take had her raw, interior energy bubbling out. She's so natural, light and buoyant. Hunter plays Tigris with a lightness and this savviness at the same time, which really defines the character."

Gooley says she and Sherri Laurence wanted to give Tigris "a real Hollywood, '40s glamor feel. She's well put together, despite the poverty in which she's now living. We gave Tigris's hair a classical champagne blond color, similar to her cousin Coriolanus' hair color."

Fionnula Flanagan portrays Snow's grandmother, Grandma'am. The veteran actor details the hardships faced by the Snow family when we meet them: "Everything has been taken away from the Snows. Grandma'am's passion for growing roses is reduced from having a rose garden down to possessing only a flowerpot with a rose bush in it. They are experiencing what many other people of their class are experiencing, which is a shortage of everything."

Grandma'am gives Coriolanus a white rose on the day of the Reaping. "It's very precious to her, and when she gives him the rose, it symbolises everything they used to be and that they can be again, she hopes," Flanagan explains.

The impressive cast of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes also encompasses actors taking on the roles of Academy mentors and Tributes - two sets of young people from enemy worlds.

Ashley Liao portrays Clemensia Dovecote, an Academy classmate of Snow whose conniving lands her in big trouble with Gaul. "Clemensia is clever, strategic, and calculating," observes Dovecote. "She's able to think far ahead, but that's also her undoing."

Liao says working opposite Viola Davis "made me a better actress," adding, "she's so captivating and fully embodies Dr. Gaul."

Zoe Renee plays Lysistrata Vickers, an Academy student who wrestles with her conscience. "She's trying her best to navigate her place in the Academy," Renee says. "She has a real affinity for Coriolanus and sees his heart, probably more than a lot of the other mentors. They have a common goal of trying to figure out if there's a way to do this more humanely."

Max Raphael, who plays Festus Creed, turned to some perceptive online analyses of his character for research. "The Hunger Games has such a lovely and dedicated fan base that really dives into every corner of those books. It was an amazing resource for me."

Lily Cooper, who stars as Arachne Crane, embraced her character's insecurity and arrogance. "There is anger there," she states. "Arachne cannot understand why nobody could see how great she was. That's where it comes from with Arachne, who thinks she's so fantastic and nobody is recognizing her talents and abilities. She's very lonely, despite her privilege."

Rounding out the cast are Nick Benson as Jessup, Mackenzie Lansing as Coral, Cooper Dillon as Mizzen, Sofia Sanchez as Wovey, Hiroki Berrecloth as Treech, Jerome Lance as Marcus, Dimitri Abold as Reaper, Luna Steeples as Dill, Knox Gibson as Bobbin, Irene Böhm as Lamina, and Kjell Brutscheidt as Tanner.

About The Production

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes unites franchise stalwarts Lawrence and Jacobson, along with executive producer Mika Saito, co-producer Cameron MacConomy, associate producer Greg Capoccia, director of photography Jo Willems, visual effects supervisor Adrian De Wet, and costume designer Trish Summerville.

Production began in the picturesque city of Wroclaw, Poland. The epic scale of the book, coupled with Lawrence's affinity for filming in practical locations, set the production on a 17-week journey across Poland and Germany, utilizing breathtaking and imposing locations to build Panem.

"The idea of making a period piece in the world of Panem was really intriguing for all of us," says Nina Jacobson. "Part of what was so inspired was Uli Hanisch's vision on this as our production designer. He had a deep knowledge of the architecture that emerges in the wake of a war, as a country or capital is trying to rebuild itself. And then to have the architecture and its history resonate so deeply with the ideas of the movie was very thrilling."

Lawrence and production designer Uli Hanisch examined the design of the previous films and imagined what Panem would look like deep in its past. "When you consider that this film is set 64 years before the original films, this is very much a period piece for the series," Lawrence explains. "It's not long after the war, and that informs so much: what kind of architecture is there, how much is rebuilt, what starts to lean toward the brutalist architecture we know from the previous films, what's classical, and what's fallen apart from the war."

Hanisch used a comparable real-world timeline to build the retro-futuristic aesthetic of Panem during the early days of the Hunger Games. "Six decades ago, in our history, we were at the end of the 1950s, and the beginning of the 1960s," he cites. "Berlin at that time, is comparable to the film's Capitol: you have a capital city fifteen years after a devastating war, and everything is different. I found that very inspiring in designing the Capitol of Panem."

Wroclaw's Centennial Hall provided the first location for the production, as the arena for the 10th Annual Hunger Games. Designed by Max Berg, the UNESCO World Heritage site has been a civic center and event space since 1913. Hanisch and the design team transformed the otherwise welcoming space into something much harsher and foreboding. "We had to come up with a design and to close the whole floor area and make it harsh, brutal, and intimidating," he says.

The Games get off to a shocking, premature start when an explosion rocks the arena, and the roof collapses. Hanisch worked in tandem with visual effects supervisor Adrian De Wet to create the arena's post-explosion look. "This is the prototype arena from which all the other arenas were based," DeWet explains of this location's place in the overall history of the Hunger Games. "The big visual effects piece here is the hole in the ceiling. We see the ceiling collapse, and the scorching occurs on the walls, floor, and ceiling."

After a month of intense filming in Wroclaw, the production relocated to a remote corner of the Polish countryside. The location was one of the main challenges for the production, as filming took place during the busy summer vacation season, and all the lakes in Poland and Germany were overflowing with tourists. The production met the challenge, finding two small fishing lakes situated in a stunning landscape, with a nearby meadow with roaring hills and trees peppered throughout.

Production wrapped a successful run in Poland and moved to Landschaftspark, a public park located in Duisburg-Meiderich, Germany. "This is a unique place, because this huge steel mill became a public park where people can walk around and discover the old steel mill facilities." Hanisch explains.

Hanisch further notes that the vastness of the location allowed the production to show District 12 when it was thriving. "It was interesting to explore the working aspect of District 12 in more detail," he relates. "The coal mining part of District 12 is more important for Panem than it was 65 years later. It's like in our real world, where our coal mines and steel factories used to be more important than they are now. We wanted to create the whole District 12 world, inside a factory."

Included in the Landschaftspark are scenes in which Lucy Gray performs with the Covey, a group of fellow musicians with whom she travels and performs. "They become this kind of family of musicians that wander from place to place," Zegler says. "When Peacekeepers rounded them up, the Covey ended up in District 12. They come together to make this beautiful music, and they perform at the local bar, which is called the Hob."

A thrilling train sequence, where Snow first meets Lucy Gray, took place in a train museum in Cologne. It was a challenge for the production to find a train shed that was long enough to enable an actual train to pull into the station and then have passengers disembark.

Later at the train station, Coriolanus finds himself in the back of a truck with a group of Tributes. The truck drops the Tributes in a zoo enclosure, located in the production's principal and final destination, Berlin. "We found one of the most picturesque parks in Berlin, with an artificial lake and unusual turtle shell construction, and created our own zoo enclosure right in the middle of it," Hanisch says.

The Nauen Transmitter Station, the world's oldest operational radio transmitting station, provided the backdrop for the facility where Coriolanus receives his Peacekeeper training, after being banished from the Capitol for providing forbidden aid to Lucy Gray during the Games.

Berlin also served as home to intense scenes featuring the characters Gaul and Highbottom. The production constructed Gaul's terrifying lab inside a crematorium, appropriately enough. Experiments fill Gaul's otherwise spare laboratory. Set decorator Sabine Schaaf says, "From the beginning it was clear that this was a special kind of location, with stunning and modern architecture. We knew Gaul's lab would be anything but 'normal,' because it's where she invents evil, literally So, we made the lab a mixture of a natural science museum, an art installation, and a lab." One of the several unsettling elements in the lab are the creatures - mutations - occupying glass cases.

Germany's famed Babelsberg Studio hosted the stage for Snow's apartment, one of the production's only builds. "Snow's apartment was, of course, a critical set," Hanisch states. "I based much of its look from its descriptions in the novel. The meagerness of the environment reflects the hard times the family has fallen on, but it's still their home."

Lawrence agrees that the set, shown in several stages of disrepair, had to reflect the Snows' declining fortunes. "We considered the fact that the Snow family once had a lot of money and clout. But they've struggled mightily since the war, and Coriolanus tries to hide that."

The 'Songbird'

Music and singing are a major part of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes . "All of the movies have had incredible scores, and some memorable cues," Jacobson says. "But here we see and hear a side of the world that's new to us. Dave Cobb brought it to life with music that I'm excited for people to hear."

Cobb, a nine-time GRAMMY®-winning music producer, created the music that accompanies the lyrics in Collins's novel. "Suzanne is brilliant," Cobb marvels. "She really put me in the world of the Hunger Games. We had deep conversations about song inspirations and specific eras of music."

Cobb has similar praise for Lawrence's focus on music. "It was Suzanne, Francis, music supervisor Julia Michaels, and me going back and forth and discovering the music together," he recalls.

Lucy and her music are exciting new additions to the Hunger Games franchise. "Lucy Gray is powerful and fragile," Cobb points out, "so it was all about finding the music that inspires her to be both of those things."

Speaking of her time on set, Nina Jacobson says, "Watching Rachel sing on set was something where - you would get chills, or just sit there sort of stunned, especially because she mostly chose to sing live, which is really rare. It would just leave you, like, shocked still, or staring, unable to take your eyes off of her, and unable to believe that this voice can come out of this tiny little person."

Zegler remembers, "It was one of the most interesting things when I was reading the book, because I thought, 'How are they going to make this music work in the context of a film? I think the music ends up being this incredible focal point of the film, because it's a sign of Lucy Gray's revolutionary ideals.

"In the novel, Suzanne Collins not only wrote the lyrics for Lucy Gray's songs, but she also had an idea for the tempo and what the songs would sound like," Zegler continues. "The Covey performs folk-country-Appalachian music. And we were all in the best of hands with Dave Cobb."

Lawrence elaborates that District 12 has the feel of the U.S.'s Appalachia region, which informs the film's music. "I discovered that Suzanne is a big country music fan, who knew much about its history and that it might have come from Scottish and English ballads that were passed down. Suzanne, Dave Cobb, and the musicians captured a kind of 1920s-30s Appalachian quality. It's a great element to the story."

The Spectacle And Style

Costume designer Trish Summerville, a frequent collaborator with Lawrence and creator of the iconic looks in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, embraced the challenge of creating a Panem that audiences had not seen before. "Aesthetically it looks completely different from the world we saw in the other films," she adds.

A major challenge came with creating Lucy Gray's rainbow arena costume, one of the more memorable pieces described in the novel. "I wanted to do dusty, muted tones, because it's also Lucy Gray's mother's dress, so it couldn't be too fresh and vibrant," Summerville points out. "It involved taking many fabrics and doing several versions of what colors worked together. The fabric had to be lightweight, so Rachel could move freely in it. The skirt also had to be a fabric with some give and stretch to it , since Rachel had so much action and stunts. I wanted the corset to be leather because of its durability and would take aging and distressing well.

Summerville worked with makeup department head Sherri Berman Laurence and department head hair designer Nikki Gooley to design Tigris's trademark look. "I'm a big fan of 1940s' silhouettes, so I leaned into that," she elaborates. "We had a very contained color palette with the film, and I wanted Tigris's colors and shapes to be really exaggerated since she is the most fashionable person in the film."

Lawrence explains the balance created when looking at the character's present and future self. "One thing we have to do with Hunter is to keep the sweet youthfulness about her, while still doing something a little different and avant-garde. It's not over the top. We didn't want to lean into what Tigris becomes, but just provide a nod to it."

Dr. Gaul's red and white lab costume further enhanced the character's intimidating presence. Says Summerville, "With Gaul's lab coat, we used a duchess silk and washed it so it could get this kind of veining through it, then ombre dyed it in red. I like using red in that stark cold environment - it empowers the presence of Dr Gaul."

Lawrence worked with Dinklage to showcase Highbottom's addiction to morphling and the impact it would have on his appearance. "Peter and I discussed the different levels of his addiction. He was really into the idea of having sunken-in eyes and a blotchy redness to his face," says the director. "As the Games progress, Highbottom's visage becomes increasingly sweaty."

The filmmakers enjoyed charting Lucky Flickerman's rising stardom through his appearance. "As Lucky's work covering the Games on television progresses, so does his ego and excitement, so I wanted his hair to start getting a little higher and his mustache to become fancier," says Summerville. "With his wardrobe, it's a slow progression of him dressing fancier and fancier, and by the finale, Lucky's in a tuxedo with tails."

This film also reverses the overall look of the Capitol and District 12 from the previous films. "With the Capitol and its citizenry, I used a solid color palette," Summerville details. "In the Districts, and with the Covey, I wanted to depict a joyful and colorful community, despite all the soot, dirt, and coal. District 12 is has a vibrant way of life while the Capitol is restrained, and people aren't happy there. Then you have all these people in District 12 who have so few possessions, but still have joy in their lives and community."

About The Cast

Tom Blyth (Coriolanus Snow) is a rising star of stage and screen, and has emerged as an undeniable talent, captivating audiences with the energy and depth he brings to each of his characters.

For television, Blyth stars as the titular role in EPIX's acclaimed series, Billy The Kid. Written and produced by Michael Hirst, the series follows the life of cowboy, gunslinger and American folk legend William "Billy the Kid" Bonney from his humble Irish roots to his early days on the American frontier, to his pivotal role in the Lincoln County War and beyond. An epic, romantic adventure, the story offers a deeper understanding of one of the most famous and contradictory characters of the American west. The show premiered episode one of its second season on October 15th.

Blyth can also be seen in HBO's 19th century period drama The Gilded Age. Set in the boom years of 1880s New York City, marked by immense economic change and great conflict between the old ways and brand-new systems, Blyth guest stars as "Archie Baldwin." Created and executively produced by Julian Fellows and starring Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, and Carrie Coon, the series premiered on January 24, 2022. He can next be seen in Discussion Materials, an indie film in which he stars alongside Chris Diamantopolous, Jordyn Denning, Zach Villa and Jay Mohr. The offbeat comedy from Alfredo Barrios Jr. is based on the bestselling book Discussion Materials: Tales of a Rookie Wall Street Investment Banker by Bill Keenan and follows Bobby Sanders (Blyth), a hustling and quick-talking former pro hockey player-turned-junior banker who navigates the quirky and somewhat surreal world of high finance as he confronts life's meaning within this gilded cage.

Blyth's career began in local theater, film and television in the UK before beginning his studies at The Juilliard School, starring in productions of Twelfth Night with Shakespeare on the Sound and A Clockwork Orange with Nottingham Playhouse, fine tuning his skill and expertly displaying his range. It was soon after his graduation that Blyth was cast in Terence Davies's film Benediction from BBC Films as famed British poet Siegfried Sassoon's longtime friend, actor/director "Glen Byam Shaw," which was released by Roadside Attractions in September 2021.

Blyth now resides in New York City.

Rachel Zegler (Lucy Gray Baird) is a dynamic actress and singer who has already established herself as a trailblazer of her generation. At only 17 years old, Rachel earned the role of María Vasquez for Steven Spielberg's new adaptation of West Side Story out of 30,000 auditions. The film captured Rachel's motion picture debut alongside Rita Moreno and Ariana DeBose, and earned her an NBR Award for Best Actress along with a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.

Rachel then starred alongside Zachary Levi, Helen Mirren, and Lucy Liu in D.C. Comics' Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the sequel to the successful predecessor, Shazam! Next, she will lead the highly anticipated prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes as Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, and Hunter Schafer are also set to star.

Next year, Rachel will be seen as Snow White in Disney's live-action remake of the classic story, making her one of the first Latina actresses to star in a live-action Disney film. Director Marc Webb said, "Rachel's extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts. Her strength, intelligence and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairy-tale."

She will also be seen in the A24 disaster comedy Y2K, directed by SNL?alum?Kyle Mooney. In the film penned by?Evan Winter, which is set on New Year's Eve 1999, two high school nobodies decide to crash the last big party before the new millennium. When the clock strikes midnight, the night gets more insane than they ever could have imagined. Rachel stars alongside Mason Gooding, The Kid Laroi and Alicia Silverstone.

Rachel has been featured on the covers of Elle, Town & Country, Who What Wear And The Hollywood Reporter and has been profiled by Vogue, Allure, And Vmagazine. She is a Forbes "30 Under 30" recipient and has been recognised by Time Magazine with inclusion in their Time 100 next list, by Variety in their annual "Power of Young Hollywood Impact" list, and by The Hollywood Reporter with their "Next Generation" list. She was also named one of "Nine Latinx Women in Hollywood Currently Changing the World" by Elle Magazine.

On Latin representation in entertainment, a subject she is passionate about, Rachel says, "We are not just the quirky side character who occasionally says a word in Spanish, we are the main character."

Peter Dinklage's (Dean Casca Highbottom) breakout role came in 2003 with the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award-winner The Station Agent. Since then, Peter has been a constant force in the acting world, best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, for which he has won a record four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. He has starred in such films as X-Men: Days of Future Past, Death at a Funeral, Living in Oblivion, and many others. Peter can also be seen in I think We're Alone Now, directed by Reed Morano, opposite Elle Fanning. The film won the Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Filmmaking at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival along with the prestigious Dolby Atmos Grant.

He can also be seen in Sacha Gervasi's My Dinner with Hervé on HBO opposite Jamie Dornan. Other recent credits include Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell, I Care A Lot with Rosamund Pike which premiered to rave reviews at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival as well as MGM's Cyrano. He was most recently seen in Rebecca Miller's She Came To Me. He also recently wrapped Brothers for Legendary opposite Josh Brolin and Glenn Close, Macon Blair's The Toxic Avenger also at Legendary, Unfrosted directed by Jerry Seinfeld, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and American Dreamer with Shirley MacLaine.

Jason Schwartzman (Lucky Flickerman) is a prolific actor with an extensive and diverse range of roles in film and television. He can recently be seen starring in Wes Anderson's latest film, Asteroid City, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. He can also be heard lending his voice to a new villain in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, sequel to the Academy-Award winning Sony animated flick.

Most recently, he can be seen starring in Jessica Yu and Jen D'Angelo's Quiz Lady opposite Sandra Oh, Awkwafina, Tony Hale, Holland Taylor, and Will Ferrell. Quiz Lady premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023, and is scheduled to be released by 20th Century Studios via Hulu on November 3, 2023.

Earlier this year, he filmed Francis Ford Coppola's next epic Megalopolis, opposite Talia Shire, Shia LaBeouf, and Kathryn Hunter. In addition, he recently wrapped shooting Nathan Silver's independent feature Between The Temples, as well as wrapped Luca Guadagino's next feature Queer, starring opposite Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, and Leslie Manville.

Jason starred opposite Chris Rock and Ben Wishaw in the fourth chapter of the critically acclaimed series Fargo. He appears in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch, a story which he co-wrote with Anderson and Roman Coppola. The film is their seventh collaboration. He can also be seen in Gia Coppola's film Mainstream, which stars Andrew Garfield and Maya Hawley. He also previously voiced the role of Jesper Johansson in the Academy Award-nominated animated film Klaus. He appeared in Amy Poehler's directorial debut Wine Country and Zach Galifianakis' Between Two Ferns The Movie, and the critically acclaimed comedy Medical Police.

Schwartzman co-created the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning Amazon series Mozart In The Jungle with Roman Coppola, Alex Timbers, and Paul Weitz. His additional film work includes Isle Of Dogs (of which he is co-story writer); The Darjeeling Limited, The Fantastic Mr Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Listen Up Philip, Golden Exits, Polka King, Wet Hot American Summer, The Overnight, Big Eyes And Funny People.

Jason Schwartzman is also an accomplished musician. He is a talented drummer who has played in several bands, including Phantom Planet, Coconut Records, and as a solo artist. As part of Phantom Planet, he co-wrote the band's hit song "California," which was used as the theme song for the television show The O.C. In 2007, Schwartzman released his debut solo album, "Nighttiming," under the moniker Coconut Records, which was well-received by critics and audiences alike. His music has been featured in numerous films, including The Darjeeling Limited.

Hunter Schafer (Schafer-Tigris) is an American artist and actor. She will next be seen in Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Schafer plays "Tigris Snow," the cousin and confidante of Coriolanus Snow in the prequel directed by Francis Lawrence. The film, which follows the Snow family after they've fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol as the 10th annual Hunger Games take place, will be released globally in November 2023.

She recently wrapped production on the A24 feature Mother Mary opposite Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. The film from writer-director David Lowery is an epic pop melodrama following a fictional musician and her relationship with an iconic fashion designer. She also has a cameo alongside Emma Stone in Yorgos Lanthimos' next film And. Schafer will be seen in her first theatrical leading role Neon's horror thriller Cuckoo from director Tilman Singer (Luz). Details of the plot are being kept tightly under wraps and the cast includes Dan Stevens and Jessica Henwick.

Schafer made her acting debut portraying "Jules" in HBO's Emmy® Award-nominated drama Euphoria, from creator Sam Levinson (Assassination Nation). Early screenings of the pilot episode landed her on The Hollywood Reporter's list of 7 Rising Stars poised for a breakout in 2019. She was honored with the Discovery Award for her performance on the series by Savannah College of Art and Design at the SCADA TVfest.

In 2021, she received critical praise for a special episode of the series, Fuck Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob, which she co-wrote, co-executive produced and starred in. Later that year, Time named her to the Next List of 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future. The series will begin production on the third season in early 2024. Expanding her resume behind the camera, Schafer made her directorial debut helming girl in red's music video for the song "hornylovesickmess," and recently directed Anohni's Why Am I Alive Now? Video.

Born in New Jersey and raised in North Carolina, at 15, Schafer's art took the form of watercolor paintings, collages, sketches, comics, photos, and essays. In 2017, while attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, she was named a finalist for The National YoungArts Foundations' competition - the organisation's highest honor. The National YoungArts Foundation was established in 1981 to identify and support the next generation of artists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts. In December that year, Teen Vogue named her one of the world's 21 Most Influential People Under 21.

Josh Andrés Rivera (Sejanus Plinth) will next be seen as "Sejanus Plinth" in Lionsgate's highly anticipated prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Prior to that Rivera made an impact as "Chino" in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of West Side Story for Disney. The film received rave reviews from critics, including Rivera's performance which Deadline called "impressive" and received a "major standout" mention from IGN.

Previously Rivera shot the series lead in the HBO Max pilot, Vegas High, under the director of Gillian Robespierre.

A seasoned stage actor, Rivera most notably performed in the original company on the 1st national tour of the smash hit musical Hamilton. He also originated the role of "Dallas" in the pre-Broadway musical production of The Outsiders set to stage in the 2021-2022 season at The Goodman Theater.

Viola Davis (Dr. Volumnia Gaul) is a critically revered artist, activist, producer, philanthropist, and New York Times best-selling author. Davis has earned EGOT status through her Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and multi-Tony Award wins. She was honored in 2017 by Time 100 as one of the world's most influential people and, in 2022, was honored with the Public Counsel's William O Douglas Award for her commitment to social justice causes. Davis has partnered with multiple programs to eradicate childhood hunger in the United States.

In 2012, Davis and her husband Julius Tennon founded their production company, JuVee Productions, with its focus on giving a voice to the voiceless through strong, impactful narratives. JuVee creates scripted and non-scripted television, film, documentary, theater, and digital immersive content for global audiences. It remains at the forefront of innovation, while developing and producing a library of socially relevant entertainment, defined by inclusion. A graduate of The Julliard School, Davis received an Honorary Doctorate during its 109th Commencement Ceremony and she also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree from her alma mater, Rhode Island College.

Fionnula Flanagan's (Grandma'am) film credits include The Guard (dir. John McDonagh, Element Pictures - IFTA Best Supporting Actress); A Christmas Carol (dir. Robert Zemeckis, Disney); The Invention Of Lying (dir. Ricky Gervais, Warner Bros); Life's A Breeze (dir. Lance Daly, Fastnet); Yes Man (dir. Peyton Reed, Warner); The Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood (dir. Callie Khouri, All Girl); Tears Of The Sun (dir. Antoine Fuqua, Revolution); With Or Without You, (dir. Michael Winterbottom, Film Four); The Others (dir. Alejandro Amenábar, Miramax - Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress); Four Brothers (dir. John Singleton, Paramount); Transamerica (dir. Duncan Tucker, Belladonna - IFTA Best Actress); Some Mother's Son (dir. Terry George, Castle Rock); Waking Ned Devine (dir. Kirk Jones, Tomboy).

Television includes Lost, Defiance, American Gods, Brotherhood (Satellite Best Supporting Actress), Revelations, Murder She Wrote, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Chicago Hope, To Have & To Hold, Legend, Cagney & Lacey, Fame, Trapper John M.D., Serpico, The Bionic Woman, Kojak, Marcus Welby M.D., Perry Mason, Mannix, Bonanza, The Streets Of San Francisco, Cold Comfort Farm, Columbo, How The West Was Won (Emmy® nomination Outstanding Lead Actress); Rich Man, Poor Man (Emmy® Award Outstanding Supporting Actress).