The Hunger Games prequel film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.
Revealed at CinemaCon 2022, the prequel story will be based on Suzanne Collins’ book of the same name and will “focus on 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,” the official description continues.
Lionsgate announced The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in 2020, and confirmed that Francis Lawrence, who directed Catching Fire and Mockingjay Part 1 & 2, would return to lead this new story. Collins’ novel was released on May 19, 2020.
No casting has been revealed for the film, but we do know that Collins will write the film’s treatment and will serve as an executive producer. Oscar-winner Michael Arndt will adapt the sceenplay.
“Suzanne’s new book has been worth the wait. It offers everything fans could hope for and expect from The Hunger Games while also breaking new ground and introducing an entirely new canvas of characters,” said Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, in the announcement. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is creatively thrilling and takes this world to complex new dimensions that open up amazing cinematic possibilities. We’re thrilled to reunite this filmmaking team with this very unique franchise, and we can’t wait to begin production.”
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.