The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a 2023 American dystopian action film produced and directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt, based on the 2020 novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. It serves as a prequel to The Hunger Games and the fifth installment in The Hunger Games film series. The film stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage, Josh Andrés Rivera, and Viola Davis. In the film, Coriolanus Snow is called on to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, a Games tribute, as he seeks to restore his family's prosperity in Panem.
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer confirmed future The Hunger Games films would be produced if Collins wrote further installments. In 2019, an adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was jointly announced with the novel and official development on the film began a year later, with Lawrence returning as director and Lesslie and Arndt serving as screenwriters. Blyth and Zegler were cast in May 2022 and principal photography began that July and lasted until that November, with filming locations including Wrocław, Berlin, and Leipzig.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes premiered at the Zoo Palast in Berlin on November 5, 2023, and was released in the United States on November 17. The film grossed $349 million worldwide against a production budget of $100 million. It received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, is set to be released on November 20, 2026.
Plot
In war-ravaged Panem, Coriolanus Snow is one of twenty-four Academy students selected to mentor a 10th Annual Hunger Games tribute. Coriolanus hopes to win the Plinth Prize scholarship to restore his family's prosperity, which was lost after his father's death.Coriolanus is assigned District 12's female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird. During the reaping ceremony, she engages the Capitol audience by slipping a snake down the dress of Mayor Lipp's daughter, Mayfair, then defiantly singing to the crowd. Coriolanus earns Lucy Gray's trust while accompanying her to the Capitol Zoo, where tributes are publicly caged. While a few mentors visit the tributes at the zoo, fellow mentor Arachne Crane taunts and then is killed by her tribute Brandy, who is immediately shot and killed by Peacekeepers.
While touring the game arena, rebel bombs explode, killing several tributes and mentors, and fatally wounding the President's son, Felix. After Lucy Gray saves Coriolanus from falling debris, he gives her rat poison as a weapon and says the bombings have opened tunnels in the arena, providing additional hiding places during the Games. Following the bombing, District 2's male tribute, Marcus, flees the arena in an attempt to escape the Games. He is later captured and beaten by peacekeepers, who string him up in the Arena as an easy and vulnerable kill. This enrages Sejanus, who had previously lived in District 2 and attended school with Marcus.
The Games commence the next morning, with Lucy Gray surviving the initial bloodbath and reuniting with Jessup, District 12's male tribute. Lamina, District 7's female tribute, mercifully kills Marcus by plunging an axe into his neck and then cutting the ropes that strung him, letting his body fall to the ground. During the games, Sejanus bribes a Peacekeeper and sneaks into the arena to ceremoniously sprinkle breadcrumbs on Marcus's body, a District 2 ceremony and belief of feeding the soul one last time in transition. Head Gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul is disturbed by this act of rebellious defiance and recruits Coriolanus to enter the arena and bring Sejanus back. The two are attacked by a tribute, who Coriolanus brutally kills, before the pair escape a pack of allied tributes who taunt and threaten Coriolanus and his mentee, Lucy Gray.
Jessup, weakened by an infection, later succumbs to a fall. During the Games' last round, genetically modified venomous snakes are dropped into the arena to avenge Felix's death. With Coriolanus's help, Lucy Gray avoids being bitten and wins the Games. Afterwards, Dean Casca Highbottom accuses Coriolanus of cheating, showing a handkerchief dropped into the snake tank to recognize Lucy Gray's scent and his mother's compact filled with the poison Lucy Gray used. Consequently, Highbottom sentences Coriolanus to 20 years as a Peacekeeper. Coriolanus bribes an officer to transfer him to District 12. Fellow Academy student Sejanus Plinth, who is disillusioned with the Capitol's ideals, volunteers to join him.
In District 12, Coriolanus and Lucy Gray reunite. Shortly after witnessing a rebel's execution, Coriolanus sees Sejanus meeting with rebels. He confronts Sejanus and turns on a jabberjay to record Sejanus' plans to support the rebels. Coriolanus later finds Sejanus meeting with rebels Spruce, Billy Taupe, and Mayfair. In the ensuing confrontation, Coriolanus fatally shoots Mayfair and Spruce kills Billy. Spruce hides the guns, but he and Sejanus are later hanged for treason after Coriolanus's jabberjay report reaches the Capitol.
Lucy Gray and Coriolanus flee north. At a small cabin, Coriolanus finds the hidden weapons tying him to Mayfair's murder. Lucy Gray, having become distrusting of Coriolanus and suspecting his involvement in Sejanus' death, disappears into the woods. Coriolanus attempts to search for Lucy Gray, but is bitten by a snake she set as a trap. An enraged Coriolanus attempts to shoot Lucy Gray, but is unable to locate her. He disposes of the guns into the lake near the cabin then, with no remaining witnesses, he returns to District 12.
Coriolanus is sent to the Capitol, where Head Gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul reveals she procured his pardon and scholarship to the Capitol University. Sejanus' parents, unaware Coriolanus caused their son's death, make him their heir. Dean Highbottom tells Coriolanus that he conceived the Hunger Games while he was drunk, with unwanted assistance from Coriolanus' father, and has been traumatized ever since. Coriolanus poisons Highbottom's drug stash, killing the Dean and beginning his rise to power, while Lucy Gray's fate is left unknown.
Cast
- Tom Blyth as Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow: A mentor for the upcoming 10th Hunger Games and future President of Panem
- * Dexter Sol Ansell as young Coriolanus
- * Archival audio of Donald Sutherland as the older President Coriolanus Snow, from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, is played at the end of the film. This was Sutherland's final performance as Coriolanus Snow, as he died on June 20, 2024.
- Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird: The female tribute from District 12 and a member of the Covey, a traveling musician group
- Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow: Coriolanus's older cousin and confidante. She would go on to become a stylist in the Games and an ally to Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, played in that film by Eugenie Bondurant.
- * Rosa Gotzler as young Tigris
- Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman
- Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom
- Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth
- Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul
- Fionnula Flanagan as Grandma'am: Coriolanus and Tigris's grandmother
- Burn Gorman as Commander Hoff
- Ashley Liao as Clemensia Dovecote: A classmate and friend of Snow, and a mentor to a tribute from District 11 Liao has stated that she was an avid fan of The Hunger Games franchise in her adolescence.
- Max Raphael as Festus Creed: A classmate of Snow, and mentor to a tribute from District 4
- Zoe Renee as Lysistrata Vickers: A classmate of Snow, and mentor of the other District 12 tribute, Jessup
- Aamer Husain as Felix Ravinstill: A classmate of Snow, son of the President of Panem, and mentor to a tribute from District 11
- Lilly Cooper as Arachne Crane: A classmate of Snow and a mentor to a tribute from District 10
- Nick Benson as Jessup: The male tribute from District 12 alongside Lucy Gray
- Mackenzie Lansing as Coral: The female tribute from District 4 and leader of "the Pack". Coral's role from the books was expanded to fit the film's plot.
- Cooper Dillon as Mizzen: The male tribute from District 4
- Kjell Brutscheidt as Tanner: The male tribute from District 10
- Sofia Sanchez as Wovey: The young female tribute from District 8
Isobel Jesper Jones plays Mayfair Lipp, the daughter of District 12's mayor, a rival of Lucy Gray, and Billy Taupe's new girlfriend.
George Somner plays Spruce, a rebel citizen from District 12.
Other members of Lucy Gray's travelling musician group, the Covey, include Vaughan Reilly as Maude Ivory, Honor Gillies as Barb Azure, Eike Onyambu as Tam Amber, and Konstantin Taffet as Clerk Carmine Clade.
Michael Greco and Daniela Grubert appear as Strabo Plinth and Mrs. Plinth, Sejanus' parents, while Carl Spencer and Scott Folan appear as Smiley and Beanpole, two peacekeepers sent by the Capitol to District 12.
Production
Development
In February 2015, nine months before the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer revealed that they were "actively looking at some development and thinking about prequel and developments possibilities" for The Hunger Games film series, similar to what Warner Bros. was doing with the Harry Potter franchise, re-launching with the then-upcoming Fantastic Beasts films. The studio reiterated the decision in December 2015. That same month, Jennifer Lawrence, who played Katniss Everdeen in the films, when asked about the idea of spin-offs, she stated, "I think it's too soon. They've got to let the body get cold, in my opinion." She also revealed she would not be involved in the spin-offs. In August 2017, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer expressed interest in more stories in the franchise, but only with the approval of the series' author, Suzanne Collins.In June 2019, Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, announced that the company was working with author Collins with regards to an adaptation of the jointly announced novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. By April 2020, Collins and Lionsgate confirmed that plans were underway for the film's development, with Francis Lawrence confirmed to direct, after doing so for the prior three films in the series since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The screenplay was written by Michael Arndt and Michael Lesslie, with Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson as producers alongside Lawrence. On July 24, 2020, Lawrence confirmed that the script for the film was "progressing really well" and stated that after reading the story, he loved what it was about and how relevant it was. Concerned over the book's length, Lawrence briefly considered to split the film in two parts like he did with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, but abandoned the idea to do so, due to his regrets over that decision. Jacobson felt that the finished film had a "daunting" length but feels that it "really goes by so fast". Collins, in addition, would serve as an executive producer on the film.
Lesslie said that he had many conversations with Collins while writing the script, where the author reiterated that the movie had to have the philosophical discourse of state of nature represented by the characters' personality. Collins also insisted that everything regarding Lucy Gray would be restricted to what Snow could witness, particularly to keep the mystery of her eventual fate. He noted an underlying theme was how young people came of age in this post-apocalyptic world, and particularly in a Capitol with the "filthy allure of wealth" that was comparable to The Talented Mr. Ripley and Succession, in having "that weird kind of hyperactive status drive, and status insecurity of people with privilege". Regarding Snow's journey, Lesslie realized that the story shifts with acts of violence, to the point that Snow starts "as horrified by the violence as we are" only for both the audience and Snow to be desensitized by the film's end.
Casting
In May 2022, Tom Blyth was cast as the young President Snow, with Rachel Zegler as his protégée, tribute Lucy Gray Baird. Zegler was originally offered the role in January, but initially turned it down before later changing her mind. In June 2022, Josh Andrés Rivera, Hunter Schafer and Jason Schwartzman were cast. Peter Dinklage was cast in the following month. Throughout June and July 2022, the cast was rounded out with actors portraying the film's multiple tributes and mentors. On August 15, 2022, it was reported that Viola Davis was cast as Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaker of the 10th annual Hunger Games. On September 16, 2022, more cast members were revealed, including Burn Gorman and Fionnula Flanagan.Filming
Filming began in Wrocław, Poland, on July 11, 2022, and ended in Berlin, Germany, on November 5, 2022, under the working title Butterfly. Filming locations included the Monument to the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig, the Strausberger Platz and the Olympic Stadium in Berlin and the Centennial Hall in Wrocław. Some scenes in the film were also shot in the "Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord" in Duisburg in North Rhine-Westphalia, and areas around Wałbrzych, including Boguszów-Gorce; a fragment of the trail leading to Chełmiec Mountain, and the lake in Grzędy.Music
The soundtrack for The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes contains the film's version of songs such as "The Hanging Tree", "Pure as the Driven Snow", which were live performed by Zegler, and produced by Dave Cobb, which heavily drew from Appalachian-country folk music. The official soundtrack The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was released on November 17, by Geffen Records featuring tracks performed by Zegler, as well as songs performed by established Americana and folk artists, and was led by two singles: "The Hanging Tree " was released on October 20, 2023, and "Can't Catch Me Now", performed by Olivia Rodrigo, was released on November 3.In July 2022, composer James Newton Howard confirmed that he would return to score the film. Howard's score was released on November 17, 2023, by Sony Classical Records.
Marketing
At the 2022 CinemaCom, a teaser was screened to concede with announcement of the film's official release date of November 17, 2023. On June 5, 2022, a reveal teaser for the film was released. On August 16, 2022, Vanity Fair released an exclusive first look at the film, featuring an image of Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird. On April 27, 2023, the first trailer for the film was released followed by a second trailer on September 20 of that year. On October 30, 2023, the film was given an interim agreement so that actors could promote it during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, since Lionsgate is not part of the AMPTP.Release
On June 30, 2022, it was reported that Lionsgate had inked deals for the film's release in numerous international markets. On November 14, 2022, director Francis Lawrence told Collider that this would be the longest film to date in The Hunger Games franchise, likely longer than the 2 hours and 26 minute runtime of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, but hopefully not three hours or longer. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes had its European premiere in Berlin, Germany on November 5, 2023, its world premiere at the BFI IMAX in London on November 9, 2023, and was released on November 16, in Europe and November 17, 2023, by Lionsgate Films.Home media
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was released on digital and VOD on December 19, 2023. The film was released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on February 13, 2024, by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.Reception
Box office
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes grossed $166.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $182.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $349 million.In the United States and Canada, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was released alongside Next Goal Wins, Trolls Band Together, and Thanksgiving, and was projected to gross around $50 million from 3,776 theaters in its opening weekend, with some industry estimates going as low as $45 million or as high as $60 million. The film made $19.1 million on its first day, $5.75 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $44 million, topping the box office but marking the lowest start of the franchise. The film made $29 million in its second weekend, remaining in first through the five-day Thanksgiving frame. The film finished in second place each of subsequent three weeks, with grosses of $14.5 million, $9.4 million, and $5.8 million. In its sixth weekend the film made $3.5 million, and a total of $5.4 million over the four-day Christmas frame, finishing in seventh.
Critical response
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, the lowest of the franchise, while those polled by PostTrak gave it an 87% overall positive score, with 70% saying they would definitely recommend the film.Zoe Guy of Vulture reported that "some critics view the 158-minute spectacle as an overwrought snoozefest, while others argue that Ballad is the most satisfying entry in the entire franchise". NMEs Alex Berry meanwhile characterised the initial critical response as "largely negative", noting that "the film has been criticised as lacking in the excitement and drama promised by the trailer, and not living up to the expectation following the first films".
Writing for IndieWire, David Ehrlich named the film both the best young adult dystopian film and "by far" the strongest installment in The Hunger Games film series, describing it as "the rare prequel that manages to stand on its own two feet and still feel taller than the other stories it's ultimately meant to support". RogerEbert.coms Christy Lemire complimented the "subtlety of this supervillain origin story" and described Blyth's performance as Coriolanus Snow as "a star-making performance". Brian Truitt of USA Today praised it as "an enticing blend of dystopian action epic and musical drama that surpasses the previous films". In a negative review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw wrote that "the interest, dramatic momentum and energy" of the franchise "have frankly expired", concluding that "this movie finally ties itself into various knots to prefigure the later world of Katniss, but the time to end the Games came long ago". Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent criticized the film for " the anger of novelist Suzanne Collins's source material" and " its biggest villain", further deriding Snow's characterization as a "yassification of a future monster".