Summary

  • The new Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes trailer gives viewers a closer look into the 10th annual game and reveals the rise of a young Coriolanus Snow.
  • The trailer teases a lot of behind-the-scenes exploration of the Hunger Games from the Capitol's perspective.
  • It also reveals some combat footage from the 10th Hunger Games' arena, and a flashback to the original Districts rebellion.

A new trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes shows more footage of the 10th annual game and a deeper insight into a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth). As a prequel to the famed Hunger Games trilogy, Coriolanus takes center stage as the main protagonist who rises to the occasion when he becomes a mentor to a fierce District 12 female tribute Lucy Gray-Baird (Rachel Zegler). The movie, which was directed by franchise stalwart Francis Lawrence, features an ensemble cast that also includes Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis.

The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes release date on November 17. Check out the trailer below:

In addition to teasing the plot of the movie, the new trailer digs deeper into the character of Snow, exploring his motivations for getting involved in the Hunger Games. The trailer also spends quite a bit of time with head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis), showcasing her intimidating power.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Will Be Very Different From The Hunger Games

Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul standing at a microphone in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes trailer invokes many familiar figures and themes from the original Hunger Games trilogy. This includes the games themselves and the presence of a Flickerman family member announcing them. Additionally, the rebel ballad "The Hanging Tree" is used to underscore the trailer, which features repeated shots of such a tree to hint at the early rebellion in Panem.

However, these similarities only serve to underscore how different the prequel will be from the original movies. The biggest difference is the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes cast. While the original movies largely focused on the tributes from various districts and the rebellion, because the new movie is centered on the future President Snow, with the bulk of the ensemble being made up of characters from The Capitol, offering a different perspective on the games themselves.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes also features a much cruder, less technologically advanced game. The 10th Hunger Games, which seems like it will form much less of the narrative spine than previous Hunger Games have, seems to take place in a single arena containing a very basic environment. This is a far cry from the vast grid of ever-changing dangers presented to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and the other tributes decades down the line.

Source: Lionsgate