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As The Hunger Games franchise returns with a new prequel movie, its director and producer are not ruling out more spin-offs. Nina Jacobson, who has worked as a producer on all of the films, and director Francis Lawrence, who helmed films two to four and the prequel, share their hopes and caveats about a return to Panem.
Speaking to GamesRadar+, Lawrence said he "absolutely" would love to return to the film franchise. "I mean I love being a part of the world, it's really fun" he says. "I love working with Suzanne [Collins, author] and Nina, and just in general the world of The Hunger Games. So if she came up with something amazing and thematic, which is what she always does, then I'd love to be a part of it, definitely."
Producer Jacobson echoed his sentiments, but added that there's a big caveat: it will be dictated by what the author writes and if she has any fresh ideas. "I think Francis and I both feel like Suzanne has been the North Star, she'll always be the North Star," she adds. "If she has stories that she wants to tell, then we'd be thrilled to be part of that and to get to do it all over again, and I'd love to know what stories she still wants to tell. On the other hand, if she doesn't, then I think that this movie works as a standalone, it's meant to be a standalone, it is its own movie."
To sum up, Jacobson concludes: "Would I be thrilled? Yes. Do we have any plans to do that in the absence of something from Suzanne? No."
New prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set 64 years before the original films, and follows the early life of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth). Long before he became the tyrannical president of Panem, he was drafted into becoming a mentor for the 10th annual Hunger Games in a bid to save his family from destitution.
However, he gets more than he bargained for with his mentee, the defiant Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) from District 12, who he must do everything to help win and, more importantly, survive.
Currently, Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins doesn’t have any un-adapted novels in the franchise, but as Lawrence and Jacobson share, they’ll be waiting with bated breath.
In the meantime, for more exclusive insight, check out what Lawrence had to say about the film’s lengthy runtime, his upcoming BioShock movie, and what Jacobson teased about its connection to the original films. Keep an eye on our website and the Inside Total Film podcast this week too for even more.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes arrives in theaters on Friday, November 17. For more upcoming movies, check out our list of the remaining 2023 movie release dates.
