Francis Lawrence Open to Exploring More Hunger Games Prequels

Francis Lawrence returns to Panem for the upcoming prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Lawrence previously helmed the final three films in The Hunger Games franchise, starting with Catching Fire. But would he return for more Hunger Games prequels? In speaking with EW, Lawrence expressed interest in continuing the franchise if Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins has more stories to tell.

“I liked being part of the series originally because the stories are great,” Lawrence said. “But what was always gratifying was that they were always about something. Suzanne [Collins, franchise author] always writes from a thematic foundation. The original ones were all about the consequences of war. [Songbirds and Snakes is] about the state of nature. That’s what makes them feel rich and not superficial, and I think it’s why they’ve stood the test of time, honestly.”

“If Suzanne has another thematic idea that she feels fits into the world of Panem — whether that’s with new people [or] familiar characters [like] Finnick, Haymitch, whoever — I’d be really interested in looking at it and being a part of it,” Lawrence continued. “But I don’t have any pull of just going, ‘I would love to do Finnick’s games.’ He’s a great character, but what’s the thematic underpinnings that make it worth telling and relevant?”

What to Expect In Hunger Games Prequel?

Set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes explores a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) during the 10th Hunger Games. The events of the games’ will shape Snow’s life and set him on a path to becoming the president of Panem.

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol,” the official synopsis reads. “With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates.”

Besides Blyth as Snow, the ensemble cast includes Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow, Peter Dinklage as Casca “Cas” Highbottom, Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, and Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman.

Lawrence directs The Hunger Games prequel from a screenplay by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. The film is based on Suzanne Collins’ 2020 novel of the same name. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes hits theaters on November 17, 2023.