The trailer of The Hunger Games prequel, titled The Ballard of Songbirds & Snakes, paints a fascinating picture of the dystopian world before Jennifer Lawrence‘s Katnis Everdeen entered the space. Besides starring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler as the leads, the adventure action film also features Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage as the villains. (Also Read: Exploring the ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ trailer as Black Manta’s hunt begins)
What’s in the trailer
Besides the visually stimulating world true to the Hunger Games franchise, the new film presents Viola and Peter in all their evil glory. Sample this dialogue by Peter’s Casca Highbottom, “Your role is to turn these children into spectacles, not survivors.”
Or sample these by a delectably diabolic Dr. Gaul, played by Viola, “Fuelled with the terror of becoming prey, see how quickly we become predator?” Or another one, “I want my enemies to see a rainbow of destruction engulfing the world.”
Clearly, odds are stacked against Tom’s Coriolanus Snow and Rachel’s Lucy Gray Baird.
What’s the film about
The synopsis of the film states that the film “follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), 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. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.”
This prequel is set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem. It is the fifth instalment in the Hunger Games franchise, the previous four instalments led by Jennifer Lawrence.
The Hunger Games: The Ballard of Songbirds & Snakes is slated to release in cinemas on November 17.