The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes [Hunger Games prequel]

pixelburp

I had completely forgotten this was to be a thing; will be a prequel to the franchise, charting the life of President Snow when he was an idealistic 18-year-old. Shooting won't start 'til 2022 so no real details just yet, but obviously being based on a novel there's already a sense of what the story will look like.

Francis Lawrence to return to the director's chair; Susanne Collins to be executive producer, and write the treatment - with Michael Arndt actually writing the screenplay.

I remember being fairly cold on the sequels, even if they were broadly lauded for being anti-blockbusters. Must go back and watch, give them another shake.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/hunger-games-prequel-start-production-220653453.html

gmisk

I really enjoyed the original books, the film's were a bit up and down, the second was by far the strongest...splitting the last book into two films didn't work, bar boasting profits which was the aim I suppose.

I read the book...it wasn't great tbh...a lot of music in it bizarrely...

silverharp

A great series of films, I dont think I have rewatched them since seeing them in the cinema, but so many scenes/images stick with me relative to a lot of other films that they obviously got a lot right

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730815#Comment_117730815

The first part of the finale really suffered from the split more than the second, similar to the Harry Potter series really; you could tell they were desperately spinning the wheels to pad out the wait til the shít was to hit the fan.

CastorTroy

I must check out the book at some point but I remember thinking the others declined in quality after the first and the last one was disappointing.

gmisk

I see Rachel Zegler has given a huge hint on Twitter she will be starring in this, she was very good in west side story.

I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games trilogy - the books - not so much the movies. (Don't get me started on what the movies left out).

But, I couldn't even get through the book of the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I just did not like it. I didn't care about "Coryo" or his story, and from the beginning I took an instant dislike to the female character, Lucy Gray Baird.

I won't post any spoilers, but a few fellow fans have told me all the action happens in the third part of the book - which I never made it too. I knew about the movie, but I'm kind of meh. I can't see myself heading to the cinema to see it.

CastorTroy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119140011#Comment_119140011

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/rachel-zegler-hunger-games-prequel-lucy-gray-baird-1235281420/

Confirmed and Tom Blyth as Snow

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/hunger-games-prequel-movie-coriolanus-snow-1235268545/

Only got through the book a couple months ago.

speedboatchase

The Hunger Games movies are one of the few franchises whose finale (both parts) were the lowest-grossing in the franchise. Also, post-Squid Game, how unique does it feel anymore? This sounds like a flop to me. Their best shot (like the new GoT series) would have been to go back hundreds of years, to the beginning of the Games and a whole new cast/trilogy. Who cares about young Donald Sutherland?

There were only 75 years of the Games in total - Book 1 (The Hunger Games) featured the 74th Games. Book 2 (Catching Fire) featured the 75th.

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes goes back 65 years to the 10th Games, and does have a new cast of characters.

The only people I remember appearing in this book from the first trilogy (from what I read) are Snow and Tigris (who had a brief role in Mockingjay).

Spon Farmer

Is the Prequel novel a one book story or the start of a series?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119163989#Comment_119163989

Its a one book story. I've started to re-read it. I want to get to that third part!

First teaser trailer:

https://youtu.be/I0EA-AItVE4?t=4

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119164617#Comment_119164617

I'm curious how on earth you even humanise someone like Snow - or why you'd want to in the first place (beyond the temptation of money for Suzanne Collins). I only read the first book alongside having seen the film series and never once did he betray an ounce of humanity.

Spon Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119164617#Comment_119164617

What third part?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119165278#Comment_119165278

Sorry, I should have been clearer. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has three "parts" within the book.

I only got through the first and probably most of the second. But I'm told by a friend who has kept on at me to finish it, that the story really all comes together in the third part of the book.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119164724#Comment_119164724

It's not an attempt to humanise him. You're supposed to hate just about everything Snow does in this book. (And of what I read, I did).

It's on purpose. Everything he does is explained why but never, ever excused.

Spon Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119165324#Comment_119165324

After posting I realised you must have meant that.

Spon Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119165339#Comment_119165339

That is good to hear.

So he is already a bad guy.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119165349#Comment_119165349

It's complicated! But I would say yes.

If you read it, you will find some of the back story very surprising. No spoilers! 🤐

Spon Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119165371#Comment_119165371

I hope the movie looks like “60 years ago”.

I don’t know exactly what that should look like but I hope the filmmakers do ;)

When the Star Wars games and comics go into the Ild Republic era it is all just a copy of the designs of the six movies.

The story is based ten years after the first rebellion that destroyed "Panem" (and led to the creation of the Hunger Games as punishment for the rebels), so the Capitol where most of this story is based, is described as still being rebuilt.

Spon Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119165431#Comment_119165431

The answer to this may be a spoiler for some.

Snow is from a Capital family that has fallen on hard times and is chosen to mentor the tribute from District 12.

If memory serves Katniss is from District 12 and was Harrelson’s and Shue’s character. They were her mentors.

So why is a Snow a mentor?

Read the book.😉

Homelander

The first movie was alright and the second was genuinely good, I just felt they made a mess of the last two movies and it somewhat killed my interest in the franchise.

I was very dissatisified with the first movie. Visually, it was great, but so much important world-building was left out or simply erased. I know they can't keep everything that is in the book, but I don't think Gary Ross did a great job with it. Francis Lawrence did a better job with the rest of the books, and I agree, Catching Fire is the best of the four movies.

In saying that, the movies are never as good as the books!

pixelburp

My abiding memory of the first movie remains that truly bizarre moment where we discover Peeta, hiding by somehow expertly painting his face and body as a camouflage using his elite cake decorating skills.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119198349#Comment_119198349

Oh god yes. That was cringey and launched dozens of memes!

Imagine, they chose to put that in, but omitted the fact that Peeta lost his leg in the first arena.

JP Liz V1

Viola Davis to Star as Head Gamemaker

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119478035#Comment_119478035

Always watchable even in total guff to be fair

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119478035#Comment_119478035

Great choice. Not how I visualised Gaul at all, when reading the book I see her as Frances Conroy, but Viola is a great actress, especially in dark roles, and Gaul is batshit crazy.

Movie is due for release in the US this week, (17 Nov) but it doesn't look like its on release in any cinemas here.

Kinda sad about that.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119868756#Comment_119868756

Nope, you're a year out 🙂

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119868767#Comment_119868767

Well, for once I am very happy to be wrong!

🤣

CastorTroy

Was about to say weren't they still casting only a couple months ago, so would've been really quick turnaround which wouldn't give me much hope for it.

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119869309#Comment_119869309

I often get the impression that’s a bit of a marketing thing to keep a film in the trades.

But nonetheless it has been a pretty rapid production by modern standards. I was surprised to see Zegler saying she wrapped the other day when it feels like she was just confirmed a few months ago.

First trailer...

https://youtu.be/f9BwB3SBPOg

pixelburp

Hmmm, maybe it does have "flop" written all over it, though it could come down to what's releasing around it. Trailer looks all right but nothing special and remain baffled why President Snow is getting a backstory.

I read that Suzanne Collins confirmed in an interview that...

Spoiler Warning

Lucy Gray Baird is Katniss Everdeen's paternal grandmother.

gmisk

Looks expensive, I will go see it definitely. Rachel Zegler was excellent in the west side story remake.

Brief_Lives

Yea, Rachel Zegler has me hooked.

Potential-Monke

Maybe I'm taking it up wrong, as I haven't read the books, but in that trailer did they claim it was both the 10th Hunger Games, but there are people saying the first Hunger Games... Is it time jumping or they're doing a whole first "televised" Hunger Games? Confused.com

Must give the originals a watch again. They were no Battle Royale, but they were interesting in their own way, stupid forced love story aside. Will surely give this a watch.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120552366#Comment_120552366

First "televised" Hunger Games.

The original movies do not do the book series justice, despite a strong cast, particularly Jennifer Lawrence and Donald Sutherland. I strongly recommend the books over the movies.

@pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120530497#Comment_120530497

@pixelburp

No spoilers, but since the trailer came out, I went back and made another attempt at reading the book (TBOSAS) again from the start. Previously I struggled to get through it, but this time, it clicked. My friend who kept encouraging me to finish it was right, it all comes together in Part 3 of the book, and it all makes sense now. All I will add, is this is definitely not a redemption story for Snow. Not at all. Its well worth the read.

I will definitely be going to see the film now, and I hope Francis Lawrence does a good job and this one lives up to the book, in the way the previous films didn't. Suzanne Collins is a great writer.

gmisk

https://youtu.be/NxW_X4kzeus?si=d0LlK6YzclD_QJep

Looks like a new trailer?

I enjoyed the book will check it out

pixelburp

It looks splashy enough for sure, its kind of 1950s aesthetic kinda cute, but can't say it'd entice me to go to the cinema for it.

Sidebar but I hate that GDPR means you can delete your username, leaving these weird random 3 word placeholder accounts instead. Really gums up a thread.

Ezeoul

This is pissing me off, and putting me right off going to see the movie.

https://screenrant.com/hunger-games-ballad-songbirds-snakes-coriolanus-snow-prologue-book-changes/

Decision by Francis Lawrence / Nina Jacobsen to add an additional prologue scene not in the book.

I have no desire to see Snow portrayed in any kind of sympathetic light. None.

Why TF does Suzanne Collins allow directors to do this to her characters?

silverharp

seems a bit of a creative mess, Snow is neither the antagonist nor the hero of the movie, just some side character who will pop up during the film?

Ezeoul

No, Snow is definitely the main character in this movie.

The whole book is from Snow's perspective.

silverharp

maybe but just looking at the trailer wont the average person just think Zegler is the new Katniss character.? Snow was a good villain but he isnt exactly Vader or the Joker, we dont need to know that much about his past.

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142710#Comment_121142710

Maybe... I would assume most people going to see it would have read the book, including the original trilogy.

This book is Snow's story, and about how the Games evolved, and is told in his voice.

Lucy Gray is very different to Katniss... If anything, there are more parallels between young Snow and Katniss.

It is a good story and there is no question that Suzanne Collins is a brilliant writer. It explains a lot, without redeeming him.

But I'm guessing the book will prove to be better than the movie! Im not expecting much, given recent comments by Francis Lawrence and Nina Jacobsen.

If I do go see it, it will be for Peter Drinklage and Viola Davis.

gmisk

Tracking for a very decent opening.

https://deadline.com/2023/10/the-hunger-games-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-box-office-1235583987/