The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Trivia | 60 facts about the film

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” is the prequel film to “The Hunger Games” franchise followin the story of Coriolanus Snake.

So let’s find out some trivia and facts about the film.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a 2023 American dystopian action film
It is directed by Francis Lawrence
From a screenplay by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt
It is based on the 2020 novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The film and the novel serves as a prequel to The Hunger Games (2012)
It is the fifth installment in The Hunger Games film series
The film stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, and Viola Davis
Set 64 years before the events of the first film
Its plot follows the events that eventually lead a young Coriolanus Snow on the path to becoming the tyrannical leader of Panem
Including his relationship with the Hunger Games tribute Lucy Gray Baird during the year of the 10th Hunger Games
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes held its world premiere in Berlin, Germany on November 5, 2023
It was released in the United States on November 17, 2023, by Lionsgate Films
The film received mixed reviews from critics
With praise for the performances (particularly from Blyth and Davis), political themes, action sequences, and music
It drew criticism for the screenplay, runtime and pacing
In August 2011 Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer expressed interest in spin-offs of The Hunger Games film series
With intentions to form a writers’ room to explore the concept.
In June 2019, Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, announced that the company was working with author Suzanne Collins with regards to an adaptation of the novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
By April 2020, Collins and Lionsgate confirmed that plans were underway for the film’s development
Francis Lawrence was later confirmed to direct, after doing so for the prior three films in the series since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The screenplay was written by Collins, Michael Arndt and Michael Lesslie
With Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson as producers along with Lawrence
Concerned over the book’s length, Lawrence briefly considered to split the film in two parts like he did with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
But desisted due to his regrets over that decision
Jacobson felt that the finished film had a “daunting” length but feels that it “really goes by so fast”
Collins, in addition, would serve as an executive producer on the film
In August 2021, Drake stated that the film was “moving along really, really well” in pre-production
In May 2022, Tom Blyth was cast as the young President Snow
With Rachel Zegler as his protégée, tribute Lucy Gray Baird
Zegler was originally offered the role in January, but initially turned it down before later changing her mind
In June 2022, Josh Andrés Rivera (who previously starred in 2021’s West Side Story alongside Zegler), Hunter Schafer and Jason Schwartzman were cast
Peter Dinklage was cast in the following month
Throughout June and July 2022, the cast was rounded out with actors portraying the film’s multiple tributes and mentors
On August 15, 2022, it was reported that Viola Davis was cast as Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaker of the 10th annual Hunger Games
On September 16, 2022, more cast members were revealed, including Burn Gorman and Fionnula Flanagan
Filming began in Wrocław, Poland on July 11, 2022 and ended in Berlin, Germany on November 5, 2022
Filming locations included the Monument to the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig and the Centennial Hall in Wrocław
Some scenes in the film were also shot in the “Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord” in Duisburg in North Rhine-Westphalia
The soundtrack for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes contains the film’s version of songs such as “The Hanging Tree”, “Pure as the Driven Snow”, which were live performed by Zegler, and produced by Dave Cobb
They heavily drew from Appalachian-country folk music
The official soundtrack The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Music From & Inspired By) would be released on November 17, by Geffen Records
The soundtrack featured tracks performed by Zegler, as well as songs performed by established Americana and folk artists, and was led by two singles: “The Hanging Tree (Lucy Gray’s version)” and “Can’t Catch Me Now”, performed by Olivia Rodrigo
It was released two days later on November 3
In July 2022, composer James Newton Howard confirmed that he would return to score the film
Howard’s score would be released on November 17, by Sony Classical Records
On October 30, 2023, the film was given an interim agreement so that actors could promote it during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, since Lionsgate is not part of the AMPTP
In the United States and Canada, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was released alongside Next Goal Wins, Trolls Band Together, and Thanksgiving
It is projected to gross around $50 million from 3,776 theaters in its opening weekend
With some industry estimates going as low as $45 million or as high as $60 million
The film made $5.75 million from Thursday night previews
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 60% rating
Based on 156 critics’ reviews
With an average rating of 6.2/10
The website’s consensus reads: “An outstanding cast and exciting story help make The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes a worthy return to Panem in spite of a rushed and somewhat frustrating ending”
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100
Based on 47 critics
Indicating “mixed or average” reviews
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B+” on an A+ to F scale
While those polled by PostTrak gave it an 87% overall positive score
With 70% saying they would definitely recommend the film