The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Trailer Launch Q&A With Director Francis Lawrence and Producer Nina Jacobson

Nina Jacobson and Francis Lawrence by TOM JAMIESON/STR

We were honored to be among a group of select fandom accounts that Lionsgate invited to Las Vegas for an exclusive 3 day trailer launch event for The Hunger Games:The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes during CinemaCon. This fandom trip of a lifetime included a viewing of the first official trailer the day before anyone else at a private event within The Hunger Games Exhibition, and a Q&A with director Francis Lawence and producer Nina Jacobson. 

This Q&A is a long one, but if you're a huge fan of the books and films there are so many details from Francis and Nina that you won't want to miss.

TV presenter Nikki Novak hosted the Q&A and took our questions afterward.

FRANCIS LAWRENCE: We shot [Ballad] last year in Germany and Poland. Very, very proud of it, and we wanted you guys to be the first ones to see the trailer.

NINA JACOBSON: It's so fun to watch them watch it.

FRANCIS LAWRENCE: I know.

NINA JACOBSON: That was so exciting watching you guys watch it. It was really thrilling.

NIKKI NOVAK: Yeah, we were watching all of you and it must be so rewarding. So first of all, congratulations to both of you. Just wanted to ask, you read Suzanne's book, and what was the vision? Like, how did you sort of go about tackling this new film and bringing in elements of the original, but then making it something completely new?

NINA JACOBSON: Well, I think one of the things that was so exciting about the book was that, on the one hand, it's so deeply steeped in the mythology of the original books and movies, and a story that everybody who's watched it or read it, knows so well.

And on the other hand, you know, Lucy Gray is the polar opposite of Katniss Everdeen. It doesn't feel like it's trying to duplicate. It's sort of striking out, and on one hand, it’s really new ground and a completely different visual language because it's a period movie. It's very different visually, which Francis can speak to. But also, she's such a different character.

And then, to see a young Snow, somebody who we've spent all of these movies fearing and loathing. And to understand who he was, and how he became who he was, was a really rewarding experience in book, and also really thrilling experience to bring it to life as a film.

 

NIKKI NOVAK: Francis, you and I were talking a little bit before we began about you meeting Rachel for the first time and having a four-hour meeting. I mean, it's so obvious. She is the real-life songbird, but why was she the person that you wanted for this film, and what did she bring to this film?

 

FRANCIS LAWRENCE: I mean, you know, one of the things is just that she's one of the most talented young actresses out there right now. But, you know, the character of Lucy Gray is a really tricky one, right? Because she's a mercurial character, right? So she's emotional, but she's also damaged, and she's lived quite a lot more honestly than the character of Snow has. But she also has to be a fantastic singer. And you know, Rachel's a phenomenal singer.

And so, yeah, we sat down and talked about the character and talked about the books and just had a fantastic meeting.

NIKKI NOVAK: And talk about casting Tom in the role. I mean, how many people did you see? And why was he the guy? I mean, you look at him, and he's extraordinary to look at, but he has such a presence. Yeah, I said it. [laugh]

FRANCIS LAWRENCE: [laugh]

NIKKI NOVAK: Thank you. [laugh]

FRANCIS LAWRENCE: No, I mean, we saw a lot of people, I will say. And there were, you know, a few people that sort of piqued our interest, and then, Tom kind of came out of the blue for us, honestly. We didn't really know much about him, didn't know who he was. And he came in, and we saw a reading of his with our casting director that was just great. I mean, he was magnetic, and he's so good at his craft. I mean, you know, he's an English actor. He's a Juilliard graduate. He really loves acting and really studies acting and really cares and really works. But also, there's the resemblance to Donald Sutherland. And so, you know, all those factors combined kind of made him the guy.

I'd also say that there's an element of him that is very controlled, which Snow is, and Donald is, that I liked very much for the role.

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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes VIP Trailer Launch Event in Las Vegas

We were so honored to be among a group of select fandom accounts that Lionsgate invited to Las Vegas for an exclusive 3 day trailer launch event during CinemaCon. This fandom trip of a lifetime included a viewing of the first official trailer the day before anyone else at a private event within The Hunger Games Exhibition, a Q&A with director Francis Lawence and producer Nina Jacobson, and a hospitality suite with some fantastic merch. This is going to be a LOOOONG post so I’ll make the Q&A its own post HERE. 

First, we were treated to a hospitality suite complete with Academy and Peacekeeper (authentically) costumed attendants. The gift bags in the suite contained Ballad tee shirts and hoodies! The new merch just launched on Lionsgate.com. 

We also got a private tour and the chance to view brand new, never before seen costumes from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes at The Hunger Games Exhibition within MGM Grand. All of the costumes we viewed at the event are also seen in the new trailer, which was extra exciting! All designed by the one and only Trish Summerville. 

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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Director Francis Lawrence and Producer Nina Jacobson Break Down The First Trailer

In the first shot we see of Rachel Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes first trailer, she curtseys sarcastically - a stark parallel of Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss in both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. 

Edit by @lolsomeonefinally instagram

“It is such a completely original Lucy moment,” producer Nina Jacobson says to Variety. “She’s such a different character from Katniss. She’s such a performer. Katniss is the opposite. This is a woman who loves and lives to perform. To see the connection there, the history that she represents, and to think that Katniss Everdeen grew up knowing about Lucy Gray and this moment, it was just a great kind of microcosm of both how much of a new ground it is and how rooted it is in what we’ve seen, but in this backward-looking way.”

“I just thought it’d be really interesting if we create a history of it so that maybe [Katniss] didn’t come up with it on her own. Maybe she’d heard about this girl from a long time ago having done the same thing,” director Francis Lawrence says. “We’re also trying to find ways of linking it to the other movies and into the things that people love.”

But that’s where the similarities end. “One of the least Katniss things ever is to get up there and sing a song,” Jacobson says. “It’s a far cry from ‘I volunteer as tribute’ to ‘I’m gonna get up there, grab the mic and sing a song.’”

Jacobson and Lawrence say fans should expect something extraordinary when they finally hear those songs.

“Dave Cobb did the music and he is incredible. His songs are earworms. They stick in your head. They’re beautiful,” Jacobson says. “Rachel often would opt not to do playback, and just sing it live. Often, after they would call cut, people would just go bananas clapping!”

Those live on-set vocals will be included in the final product. “The big finale moment…un-fucking-believable. Her voice is jaw-dropping.”

“Suzanne Collins is a country music aficionado and she has a vast knowledge of country music. Because District 12 is West Virginia, we sort of leaned toward the Appalachian sound,” adds Lawrence of the musical style for the film.

Jason Schwartzman plays Hunger Games Host Lucky Flickerman, an ancestor of Stanley Tucci’s Caesar Flickerman. As we know, resemblance is striking, but Jacobson says “He’s not impersonating [Stanley Tucci] any way - but there are moments with his laugh or his flair.”

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Epic First Official Trailer And Character Poster For The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Lionsgate debuted the epic first trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes at their CinemaCon panel in Las Vegas, Nevada today. Take a look:

We were honored to be among a group of select fandom accounts that Lionsgate invited to Vegas for an exclusive first look at the trailer last night  - before anyone else. See more about that fandom trip of a lifetime HERE. 

Along with the trailer, we got a look at the first official character poster for the film with the tagline, "Everyone Hungers For Something." 

Can't wait to hear what you think!

EXCLUSIVE sneak peek from The Hunger Games:The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes First Official Trailer

Lionsgate is at CinemaCon in Las Vegas and they treated a select group of fan accounts, including our very own Molly, to a VIP trailer launch event! We got to see The Hunger Games:The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes first official trailer before anyone else at a private event held within The Hunger Games Exhibition inside MGM Grand. 

But don’t worry, everybody else will get to see tomorrow! Time isn't yet confirmed but we assume it will be shown during the Lionsgate panel at CinemaCon and released online at the same time. 

To make the wait a little more bearable, here is an EXCLUSIVE sneak peek from the trailer to tide you over.

There are 17 different sneak peeks in total that are being released today among the fandom accounts in attendance. Be sure to stop by other THG fansites and social media accounts to find them all. We've posted the list of accounts in our instagram comments on this gif post. 

See you TOMORROW for the trailer!

You can check out the full VIP trailer launch experience HERE

And an exclusive Q&A with director Francis Lawence and producer Nina Jacobson HERE. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Movie Tie-In Paperback Available For Pre-Order

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie tie-in paperback edition will be released September 19, 2023, and is now available for pre-order. They’re using the beautiful new teaser poster released back in March as the cover for the paperback.

You can get the new edition at Amazon and Books-A-Million.

RUMOR ALERT: The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes Screening Rumors

RUMOR and SPOILERS! Donald Sutherland is rumored to make a cameo appearance at the end of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes in a short 40 second scene. 😲 We know it's just a rumor for now but WOULDN'T IT BE AMAZING?? 

This is according to @DivinitySeeker1 on twitter, who has spoken to a test screening facilitator. He says there are multiple musical numbers in the film. Obviously these are going to be the Lucy Gray scenes and The Covey scenes - very important scenes in the book and not the "burst into song" musical numbers people might be imagining. It IS called The BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS and Snakes, after all. Rumor is that the opening scene is a prologue set in the past and is a new original scene. We assume this to mean it's a scene the script writers came up with, set before the 10th Games, and is not from the book.

The current length of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes film in test screenings is rumored to be ~ 3 hours and 40 minutes. Director Francis Lawrence has said in interviews tht this film will be the longest of all of The Hunger Games films, but that he's aiming to be well under 3 hours. They’re still figuring out which scenes to tighten up so the end result will likely be shorter.

Again, these are RUMORS and haven’t been confirmed with anyone from the studio. It's always interesting to hear these whispers and look back later to see if they were true or not.🕊️🐍

Lionsgate Chairman Joe Drake On The Hunger Games Renaissance

Lionsgate’s motion picture group chairman Joe Drake spoke with The Wrap about their plan to get audiences interested in The Hunger Games franchise again after it’s been dormant for so long.

Drake says he’s seen a cut of the film from Francis Lawrence and it’s “truly extraordinary“ 🤩

He also discussed the “Hunger Games Renaissance” (way to go, tributes!) 🏹🔥

“What’s actually happened is that there’s a viral movement called “Hunger Games Renaissance” that has come up in the past couple of weeks and while it started with people who grew up reading and watching the Hunger Games, we’re also seeing it being embraced by a whole new audience who are discovering the films and books.”

He shared that releasing the original films on Netflix put the books back on the bestseller list and amped up sales for Ballad.

“What we are doing separate from Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to bring The Hunger Games back, is to line up all of the original movies on Netflix.When we did that, we found that the original books rose back to the top of the bestseller list and sales for the new book, Songbirds and Snakes, rose by 40% to 50%. When The Hunger Games films first came out, the strategy that Lionsgate followed was “sell the books first,” and that’s pretty much what we’re doing here to reignite the appetite for this franchise.