The Hunger Games prequel movie The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes promises a very different version of Coriolanus Snow than we've met before.
"We start in a very different place with Snow," director Francis Lawrence tells Total Film magazine in the new issue, which hits newsstands on Thursday, October 12. "We see a young man who’s struggling, and who’s part of a family that’s lost their fortune. He’s putting on an act that he still has money, still has status. He also starts in a much more positive place than you would imagine. It’s part of what’s fun about the story, that you see him break bad."
The new prequel takes place 64 years before The Hunger Games as we meet an 18-year-old Snow (Tom Blyth) as he’s assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) for the 10th annual Hunger Games.
The future tyrannical president is initially alarmed, given that Lucy is a tribute from impoverished District 12. But when she defiantly sings during the reaping ceremony, he spies an opportunity to turn the odds in their favour – her by surviving the deadly combat, and him by growing the Games from their grubby gladiatorial roots into a show-stopping event full of theatre and spectacle.
You can see an exclusive image from the new movie above, featuring Zegler as Lucy.
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes opens in cinemas on November 17. For much more on the film, check out the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, October 12. Check out the covers below:
Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. With our latest offer, you can get a JOBY Magnetic Wireless Charger worth £29.95 when you take out a print/bundle subscription. You'll also get exclusive subscriber-only covers (like the one on the right, above).
