The Big Picture
- Lionsgate has released a batch of new images from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, giving viewers a glimpse into the earlier years of Panem.
- The images feature key characters Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird, as well as the symbol of a white rose, which holds significance throughout the Hunger Games franchise.
- This prequel focuses on the mindset behind the Games and explores the efforts of the Capitol to create something sensational for Panem, while also following Coriolanus as he mentors the new tributes, including Lucy Gray.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is still a couple of months away, but Lionsgate is keeping the content coming. Shortly after teasing viewers with a few embellished images, the studio once again released another round of images transporting viewers to the earlier years of Panem. The Hunger Games prequel is due to be released on November 17, and it’s shaping up to be one game viewers will want to attend.
The latest batch of images comes after Lionsgate sent out PR mailers to outlets, including Collider. The gorgeous music box features the central logo of the book and film: a songbird locked in battle with a snake. The inside of the box opens to reveal a golden rose set in front of a mirror at the top half, with gold petals resting in the lower half. Additionally, Lionsgate included three Polaroids of stills from the movie, which you can see more clearly in this article’s header image and below.
Image-wise, the latest photos give another glimpse at The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes‘ two core characters: Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). In one image, Coriolanus hands Lucy Gray a white rose — a significant gesture that not only reiterates their blossoming relationship but is also a key symbol throughout the entirety of the Hunger Games franchise. Another image focuses on Lucy Gray in the midst of this film’s games, with a barren and broken-down arena acting as a backdrop as she looks in shock at something out of frame. Viewers also get another glimpse at District 12, but this time with a much larger emphasis on the district’s role as a mining town.
‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Brings a Different Perspective to the Games
As The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel, it will, naturally, chronicle the years (64, to be exact) long before Katniss Everdeen would spark a rebellion against the Capitol. The games themselves are still a core part of the story, but this time around, it instead hits more on the mindset behind the games — not just of an 18-year-old Coriolanus before his rise to power, but of the Capitol and its efforts to create something sensational for Panem. With the 10th annual games approaching, Coriolanus and his peers at the Academy are tasked with creating something different for the event while mentoring the new round of tributes — including Lucy Gray Baird, a bold young woman who quickly captures Panem’s attention and Coriolanus’ along with it.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes enters the arena on November 17. Check out the images and the music box below: