By Ivie Drogin ‘25, Arts and Entertainment Editor

The start of the 10th Hunger Games  from “The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Image courtesy of Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

For those of you who read “The Hunger Games” for 7th grade summer reading, you’re in luck. Whether you enjoyed the book (or just watched the movie) or hated it and are scarred from the grade you got on the essay you had to write about it (probably a result of just watching the movie), you have not escaped the grasp of President Snow. Only this time, he’s not President Snow yet.

In May of 2020, author Suzanne Collins added a prequel to her “Hunger Games” trilogy: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The book is set 64 years before the first Hunger Games novel and follows Coriolanus Snow through his personal and familial struggles 10 years after District 13’s revolution and his evolution from poor Capitol student to the ruthless President Snow we know well. Unfortunately for Snow, his family lost much of their fortune that they invested in District 13’s military industry. However, Coriolanus is still a Capitol kid and must keep up his reputation. To Coriolanus’s dismay, the first year that the tributes receive Capitol students as mentors, he is paired with the female tribute from District 12. Innovative for the 10th Hunger Games, Coriolanus must creatively market Lucy Gray Baird as a tribute to support, an idea that was expected in the 74th Hunger Games. Comparing Katniss’ lavish arrival to Lucy Gray’s dangerous one, Collins shows us how far the Hunger Games have come, and how it all changes with Coriolanus Snow. The rest of the story follows a similar format to the other Hunger Games books as he uses his wits to coach his tribute and turn the odds ever in their favor. 

The movie premiered on November 17th with a star studded cast, Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) star in the film as Coriolanus and Lucy Gray Baird. Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) plays Tigris Snow, the fashion designer cousin of Coriolanus. Other characters include Casca Highbottom, Dean of Coriolanus’ school, played by Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and Dr. Volumnia, Snow’s mentor and teacher, played by Oscar winner Viola Davis (How To Get Away with Murder, The Help). 

In addition to the decorated cast, the movie has an impressive soundtrack featuring breakout artist Olivia Rodrigo in the song “Can’t Catch Me Now.” Social media went wild with rumors about artists on the soundtrack with the most notable being Nicki Minaj. Rachel Zegler revealed on the Jimmy Fallon Show that she believes she accidentally started the rumor as fans played detective in trying to find clues through a few of her social media posts. Unfortunately, Nicki Minaj is not on the released album though she too teased about it.

But even though Nicki Minaj does not have a song in the movie, it has become widely popular around the globe. In its debut, the movie has grossed over $100 million, with $56.2 coming from international revenue according to Deadline. The highly anticipated movie was clearly a hit. Delilah Loncar ‘25, thought that the new movie was “brilliant, though [she] wasn’t expecting much because prequels are usually a letdown compared to the original movie.” But thought “this prequel was one of the best [she’s] seen since the Godfather 2.” Clearly people agree considering the movie is still relevant weeks after it came out, even before it is released on streaming services. According to People Magazine, it is expected to be released on NBC’s streaming service Peacock after being taken out of theaters sometime in January. 

It is almost certain the marketing team will continue to keep the movie relevant far past January. Chances are at least one video featuring the cast has come up on your “For You Page” on Tik Tok. Whether it be the hilarious “Behind the Scenes” shorts or fan edits of the actors, the Hunger Games film has taken over social media. 130,000 users follow @songbirdsnakes on instagram waiting for weekly posts featuring the actors and showcasing their incredible chemistry on and off screen. 

Though Katniss Everdeen’s story has come to a close, Collins has opened a door to an entirely new set of Hunger Games storylines. With the edition of one prequel can come another; there is no shortage of interesting characters to choose from. As long as Collins is willing to write the books, there will always be an audience willing to read them and wait patiently for the movie that accompanies it. Who knows, maybe we’ll get a glimpse into Haymitch or Finnick’s Hunger Games next.