Once upon a time, The Hunger Games was one of the biggest YA franchises in all the land. The four films starring Jennifer Lawrence earned over $3 billion worldwide, so when Hunger Games author Susan Collins released a prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, two years ago, Lionsgate wasted little time in adapting the new story for the big screen. The studio announced today that Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid) will star in the Hunger Games prequel as young Coriolanus Snow, the role played by Donald Sutherland in the previous four movies.
“Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol,” reads the official synopsis of the Hunger Games prequel.. “With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, 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’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.” Francis Lawrence, who directed the final three films of the Hunger Games franchise, has returned to direct the prequel movie. In a statement, Lawrence said:
Coriolanus Snow is many things – a survivor, a loyal friend, a cutthroat, a kid quick to fall in love, and a young man ambitious to his core. Tom’s take on the character showed us all the complex ambiguities of this young man as he transforms into the tyrant he would become.
Producer Nina Jacobson added, “Tom’s performance will both fulfill and disrupt everything you think you know about Coriolanus Snow. He’s a tremendous talent who will show why Snow always lands on top.” Tom Blyth can be seen starring in Epix’s Billy the Kid series and was also recently seen in the first season of The Gilded Age on HBO. Michael Lesslie (Macbeth) has penned the most recent draft of the screenplay for the Hunger Games prequel, building on work already done by Suzanne Collins and Michael Arndt.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.