Return to Panem this November in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Discover what happened in the years before Katniss Everdeen brought the annual killing contest to its knees as we discover the origin story of the dreaded President Coriolanus Snow.
You can now book your Cineworld tickets for the new Hunger Games movie but before you do, here's your lowdown on the film's story, cast and release date.
What is the story of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
Some 65 years before Katniss Everdeen arrived on the scene, we're introduced to the younger Coriolanus Snow. He hails from a moneyed, high-ranking Panem family, and these connections have allowed him to enter the prestigious Capitol Academy.
However, Coriolanus' family has fallen on hard times following the death of his father who was killed in the ongoing war between the districts and the Capitol. Snow wants to restore his family name.
With the 10th annual Hunger Games contest set to begin, Coriolanus is set to become a mentor to one of the tributes, and this is the first time mentorship has been deployed in the history of the games. Coriolanus' mentorship is, in his mind, his meal ticket toward restoring his family's honour.
Coriolanus is responsible for mentoring Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute and musician from District 12. As he schools her in the art of Hunger Games survival, Coriolanus starts to fall for Lucy and he starts to become increasingly conflicted about his goals.
Meanwhile, the architects behind the Hunger Games are conspiring to make the event more bloody and spectacular than ever as they seek even greater viewership. Coriolanus and Lucy find themselves caught in the middle.
Who stars in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
Coriolanus Snow is played by British actor Tom Blyth who received positive notices for his role in the late Terence Davies' wartime drama Benediction.
Lucy Gray Baird is portrayed by Rachel Zegler, the star of Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning remake of West Side Story. Zegler will next be seen as Snow White in Disney's live-action remake.
Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage portrays Casca Highbottom, the architect of the Hunger Games and someone who shares a history with Coriolanus' father.
Oscar-winning star of Fences, Viola Davis, plays the villainous Dr Volumnia Gaul who, with the help of her genetically engineered snakes, manipulates and twists Coriolanus' sympathies for her own ends.
The cast is rounded off by Wes Anderson favourite Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius 'Lucky' Flickerman, the host of the Hunger Games contest and Caesar Flickerman's predecessor.
Josh Andrés Rivera plays Sejanus Plinth whose family connections gain him admittance to the Capitol and Snow's counsel, despite Plinth's hatred of the games.
And Hunter Schafer portrays Tigris Snow as a younger woman. She's the Hunger Games stylist, not to mention Snow's cousin, who was ultimately cast out from the Capitol.
Who is directing The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
Francis Lawrence is directing The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. He helmed all of the original Hunger Games movies except for the first and transformed the series into the definitive young adult blockbuster franchise.
In a recent interview with Empire, Lawrence spoke about the ongoing relevancy of the Hunger Games movies, all of which (including this latest one) are adapted from Suzanne Collins' novels.
"Sure, the books were targeted at teenagers," Lawrence explained. "But Suzanne didn’t write down to them. She was writing about relevant themes, real ideas, and hard things were happening. Sometimes, you look at other YA things and feel the YA-ness of them; you feel the high-school cafeteria politics in these dystopian worlds. I wouldn’t have signed on if this felt like that."
When is The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes released at Cineworld?
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is released on November 17th.
Where can we watch the latest trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
Scroll down to watch the latest trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Where can we book Cineworld tickets for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
Click the link below to book your tickets for the new Hunger Games movie.
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