Suzanne Collins on 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'

Photo by Todd Plitt

It’s always a treat to hear what goes through Suzanne Collins mind when she’s writing! Here's a great (and rare) interview with Suzanne and David Levithan, VP, Publisher and Editorial Director at Scholastic, and one of her editors, about the making of the book. There are a few spoilers if you haven’t read the book yet! Read on at your own risk.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

David Levithan: I’ll start with the two questions I’m sure most readers will want to ask: Did you always plan to return to Panem after the trilogy with a book set sixty-four years earlier? And if not, what made you return to the story in this way? 

Suzanne Collins: Here’s how it works now. I have two worlds, the Underland (the world of The Underland Chronicles series) and Panem (the world of The Hunger Games). I use both of them to explore elements of just war theory. When I find a related topic that I want to examine, then I look for the place it best fits. The state of nature debate of the Enlightenment period naturally lent itself to a story centered on Coriolanus Snow. 

Focusing on the 10th Hunger Games also gave me the opportunity to tell Lucy Gray’s story. In the first chapter of The Hunger Games, I make reference to a fourth District 12 victor. Katniss doesn’t seem to know anything about the person worth mentioning. While her story isn’t well-known, Lucy Gray lives on in a significant way through her music, helping to bring down Snow in the trilogy. Imagine his reaction when Katniss starts singing “Deep in the Meadow” to Rue in the arena. Beyond that, Lucy Gray’s legacy is that she introduced entertainment to the Hunger Games. 

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UK Tributes: Watch 'The Hunger Games' on Lionsgate LIVE - A Free Night At The Movies!

Rewatch alert for UK tributes: The Hunger Games will be broadcast on the Lionsgate UK Youtube channel this Saturday May 23rd for another #LionsgateLive! Lionsgate Live benefits the NHS Charities Together, supporting NHS staff, volunteers and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, and The Film and TV Charity Covid-19 Emergency Response, supporting the people behind the scenes who bring these stories to our screens.

If you live in the UK, you can watch the broadcast here Saturday, May 23rd at 6pm BST! For more details, or if you'd just like to donate to a great cause, head over to Lionsgate.Live/UK. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is Here! Plus Suzanne Collins Reads From Chapter 3

Happy Hunger Games prequel release day, tributes! The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is finally here! If you haven't grabbed your copy yet you can order it on kindle HERE and have it on your phone or tablet in less than a minute. 

Bonus  - Story time with Suzanne Collins! Watch as she reads from Chapter 3 of the book:

We can't wait to hear what you think of the new book! Let us know in the comments or on social media. 

'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes': Listen To The First 11 Minutes of the Hunger Games Prequel Novel

Listen to an extended excerpt from the official audiobook of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins' upcoming Hunger Games prequel! The story follows an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow as he prepares for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the 10th Hunger Games. He's up against a lot: His family has fallen on hard times, and he's forced to guide the female tribute from District 12, considered the lowest of the low. Suddenly, their fates are intertwined.

The book is headed to film with the dream team from the last 3 movies, Suzanne Collins adapting the book for film, Francis Lawrence directing, and Nina Jacobson producing.

 

Santino Fontana, Tony-winning Broadway star of Tootsie and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend alum, reads the audiobook. “You think you know someone but there are a lot of surprises,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “You're going to understand a lot more of why he is the way he is.”

Listen to 11+ minutes of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' first chapter at the link below. The book is available in hardcover and audiobook on May 19 and is available for pre-order HERE.

 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Chapter 1

More about the book:

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.  

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

 

Listen To Suzanne Collins Read An Exclusive Excerpt From 'The Hunger Games' Prequel - with a surprise returning character!

In this exclusive clip posted on Bustle, The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins reads the opening scene from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. She introduces the book's protagonist, a young President Snow, and his very familiar cousin. Listen in! 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be released on May 19th, 2020. You can pre-order your copy now. 

The Dream Team is Back for Another Hunger Games Movie: Francis Lawrence, Suzanne Collins & Nina Jacobson Reunite for The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes At Lionsgate

Exciting news, tributes! Our favorite team is BACK to bring us another Hunger Games film! The Hunger Games franchise filmmaker Francis Lawrence will return to direct the Lionsgate prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes based on Suzanne Collins’ upcoming Scholastic novel available for sale on May 19th. Lawrence directed the last three Hunger Games movies: Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1, and Mockingjay Part 2. No casting has been announced, but that doesn’t mean we can't start fan-casting once that book drops. The project will start prep once production can safely resume post COVID-19 pandemic.

We’re thrilled to report that franchise producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are also returning. We know how carefully Nina treated every aspect of the franchise and are so happy she’s back for the prequel(s?). Suzanne Collins will write the film’s treatment (HOORAY!) and Michael Arndt, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Little Miss Sunshine will adapt the screenplay, after previously serving as one of the writers of Catching Fire. It's going to be GOOD! Suzanne Collins also will serve as an Executive Producer.

The deal was overseen by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman Joe Drake, who bought the original book during his previous tenure at the studio as head of the motion picture group. With the release of the new book, Drake made The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes a priority for Lionsgate.

The prequel movie will focus on Coriolanus Snow at age 18, years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem. Young Coriolanus is handsome and charming, and though the Snow family has fallen on hard times, he sees a chance for a change in his fortunes when he is chosen to be a mentor for the Tenth Hunger Games… only to have his elation dashed when he is assigned to mentor the girl tribute from impoverished District 12.

Commenting on the announcement, Drake said, “Suzanne’s new book has been worth the wait. It offers everything fans could hope for and expect from The Hunger Games while also breaking new ground and introducing an entirely new canvas of characters. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is creatively thrilling and takes this world to complex new dimensions that open up amazing cinematic possibilities. We’re thrilled to reunite this filmmaking team with this very unique franchise, and we can’t wait to begin production.”

“Lionsgate has always been the cinematic home of The Hunger Games, and I’m delighted to be returning to them with this new book,” said Collins. “From the beginning, they have treated the source material with great respect, honoring the thematic and narrative elements of the story, and assembling an incredible team both in front of and behind the camera. It’s such a pleasure to be reuniting with Nina, Francis, and Michael to adapt the novel to the screen, and having them share their remarkable talents, once again, with the world of Panem. I look forward to collaborating with them and all at Lionsgate as we bring The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to theaters worldwide.”

Jim Miller, the Lionsgate executive who has served as the studio’s project executive on all of the franchise’s films, will oversee the production.

Lionsgate hinted at the possibility of more than one Hunger Games prequel movie in the works on twitter yesterday. “We’re just getting started.”

Order your copy of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes HERE. 

New Set Photos From The Hunger Games + Lionsgate Live Movie Event

Lionsgate opened up their secret vault of Hunger Games goodies yesterday and unearthed some awesome, never before seen set photos from The Hunger Games first film. 

 

SEE MORE:

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Rest in Peace, Lynn Cohen

Lynn Cohen, the actress who so beautifully portrayed District 4 victor Mags in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, has passed away at 86. Without a single line of dialogue in the film, Lynn completely captured our hearts and became an instant fandom favorite.

 

Lynn was also known for her many years of brilliant theater, television, and film work, most notably as Magda in Sex in The City.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to her loved ones. She will be deeply missed.