Time certainly flies. It’s been 11 years since the release of The Hunger Games. With a property as immensely successful as it was there should be no surprise that, even though the source material is depleted, Hollywood has found a way to continue on. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is that way, and I really must say, I think they may have picked the right path.
The film takes places 64 years before the Jennifer Lawrence, star-making original and follows President Snow (Donald Sutherland in the originals) long before his days in office as a young man integral to the start of the games.
This second trailer really digs deep into what we can expect from the performances and, honestly, that’s what gives me the most hope about the quality of this film. Tom Blyth, who plays the young Snow, and Rachel Zegler are strong enough as the films central plot (which seems to be a Romeo and Juliet, love across the districts affair).
The real star of this trailer is the astounding Viola Davis. Her Dr. Volumnia Gaul seems to fully embody the cold evil that would bring something like the Hunger Games to life. Factor in a picture perfect Jason Schwarzman as Lucky Flickerman (a father or grandfather to Stanley Tucci’s iconic MC from the original films) and Peter Dinklage as the hilariously named but seriously grave Casca Highbottom and you have something that is shaping up to be one of the few prequel’s that will gain the public’s love and affection.
Check out the trailer below and look for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in theaters on November 17th, 2023
Official Synopsis:
Coriolanus Snow at age 18, years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem. Young Coriolanus is handsome and charming, and though the Snow family has fallen on hard times, he sees a chance for a change in his fortunes when he is chosen to be a mentor for the Tenth Hunger Games. Only to have his elation dashed when he is assigned to mentor the girl tribute from impoverished District 12.
