August 16, 2022
THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES: James Newton Howard Returns to THE HUNGER GAMES
THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES is an upcoming science fiction action film directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Michael Arndt, based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. It is a prequel to the film series THE HUNGER GAMES, and will be the fifth overall installment in the franchise. It stars Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow, who mentors and develops feelings for the female District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games. Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage, and Viola Davis co-star.
Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy Gray’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.
James Newton Howard will return to the franchise and score the new film. Howard beautifully scored the first four HUNGER GAMES movies (three of which Francis Lawrence directed) and he also previously collaborated with Lawrence on I AM LEGEND, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and RED SPARROW.
The film began shooting in Poland in June 2022 and is scheduled for release in the United States on November 17, 2023.
