Lionsgate's upcoming prequel film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has added another round of tributes and mentors to its extensive ensemble cast. The latest additions include Irene Boehm, Cooper Dillon, Luna Kuse, Kjell Brutscheidt, Dimitri Abold, Athena Strates, Dakota Shapiro, George Somner, and Vaughan Reilly. They join a cast led by Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler.
Boehm will play Lamina, a District 7 tribute. Dillon plays Mizzen, a tribute from District 4, with Strates playing Mizzen's mentor Persephone Price. Kuse and Brutscheidt will play District 10 tributes Brandy and Tanner, respectively. Abold plays District 11 tribute Reaper. Shapiro and Reilly will play two members of the Covey, Billy Taupe and Maude Ivory, respectively. Somner will play Spruce, who is from District 12.
Set 64 years prior to The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes follows an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Blyth) before he would become the president of Panem. Once a well-respected family, the Snows have fallen from grace and struggle to maintain their reputation. The 10th annual Hunger Games are on the horizon, and Coriolanus has been selected to be a mentor. However, when he learns he will mentor District 12's female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler), Coriolanus is embarrassed and disappointed. When Lucy Gray captures Panem's attention through a defiant performance during the reaping ceremony, Coriolanus changes his tune. With their combined skills, Coriolanus and Lucy Gray may yet have the chance to turn the tide in their favor. Their "race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake."
Additional cast for the movie includes Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman, Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow, Jerome Lance, Ashley Liao, Knox Gibson, Mackenzie Lansing, Aamer Husain, Laurel Marsden, Lilly Cooper, Luna Steeples, Hiroki Berrecloth, Nick Benson, Josh Andres Rivera, Max Raphael, Ayomide Adegun, Amélie Hoeferle, Kaitlyn Akinpelumi, Sofia Sanchez, and Zoe Renee.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is directed by Hunger Games franchise alum Francis Lawrence. The screenplay was written by Michael Lesslie from a previous draft by Michael Arndt, adapted from the Suzanne Collins novel of the same name. Collins, Jim Miller, and Tim Palen executive produce. Lawrence, Nina Jacobson, and Brad Simpson serve as producers. Scott O'Brien and Meredith Wieck oversee the project for Lionsgate.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes releases in theaters on November 17, 2023.