Thu, October 5, 2023 ;)
Tue, September 26, 2023 ;)
The Ballad of when Jennifer Lawrence and Rachel Zegler broke the internet. Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence and Rachel Zegler posed for photos together at Dior’s show during Paris Fashion Week. The Mockingjay and The Songbird finally united!
;)
Mon, October 10, 2022 
photos via @jesperjones instagram
Isobel Jesper Jones (Mayfair Lipp in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) posted some photos of her dyed red hair to instagram yesterday with the caption “Mayfair red 🍒”. Did you catch that Mayfair’s hair is red in the book? Here’s the scene from the reaping where they describe her as a redhead:
“It happened quickly. The dip of her hand into the ruffles at her hip, the wriggle of bright green transported from her pocket and deposited down the collar of a smirking redhead’s blouse, the rustle of her skirt as she moved on.”
Isobel Jesper Jones replaced Laurel Marsden, who was initially cast as Mayfair Lipp, reportedly due to a scheduling conflict.
She looks gorgeous as a redhead!
Sun, September 18, 2022 
Finally we have a Grandma’am! The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes has announced another round of actors joining the growing cast. Covey members, Capitol citizens, and District 12 Peacekeepers have been added. Let’s get into it.
From left to right row 1: Fionnula Flanagan is set to play the Grandma’am, grandmother of future President Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and his cousin Tigris Snow (Hunter Schafer). Michael Greco and Daniela Grubert will play Strabo and Ma Plinth, the parents of Sejanus Plinth, Snow's “best friend.” Flora Li Thiemann (Nelly's Adventure) will appear as Livia Cardew, mentor to District 1 tribute, Facet (whose casting hasn’t officially been announced).
Row 2: The Covey cast has been rounded out as well. Honor Gillies will make her professional acting debut as Covey bass player and cousin of Lucy Gray Baird and Maude Ivory Baird, Barb Azure Baird. Konstantin Taffet - also in his film debut - plays fiddler Clerk Carmine, younger brother of Billy Taupe. Eike Onyambu is mandolin player and “lost soul” Tam Amber.
Row 3: The Peacekeepers cast are Burn Gorman, (who many may recognize from Pacific Rim), as Commander Hoff. Scott Folan will play Peacekeeper recruit Beanpole along with Carl Spencer as Smiley. Lastly, Isobel Jesper Jones has now officially joined the cast as Mayfair Lipp, replacing Laurel Marsden, who was initially cast, confirming months of speculation that this was the case.
Confused? Need help keeping track of all the new faces? Check out a helpful visual guide to the cast and characters of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes here.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.
Mon, August 15, 2022 
The rumors were swirling for months and now it’s finally official. Viola Davis has been cast as the evil Dr. Gaul in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes!
Dr. Volumnia Gaul is the Head Gamemaker for the 10th Hunger Games, University Professor, leads classes for the 24 Hunger Games mentors at the Academy, and heads the science lab that produces muttations. She also loves animal cruelty and torture, so a real fun gal! She ends up being a huge influence on the young Coriolanus Snow, setting his course for the future.
What happened in the arena? That’s humanity undressed. The tributes. And you, too. How quickly civilization disappears. All your fine manners, education, family background, everything you pride yourself on, stripped away in the blink of an eye, revealing everything you actually are. A boy with a club who beats another boy to death. That’s mankind in its natural state. . . .
- Dr. Volumnia Gaul
“The Hunger Games films have always been elevated by their exceptional casting, and we are thrilled to be continuing that tradition with Viola Davis as Volumnia Gaul,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President, Nathan Kahane. “Her formidable and powerful presence will add layers of complexity and menace to this story.”
“Dr. Gaul is as cruel as she is creative and as fearsome as she is formidable,” said Lawrence. “Snow’s savvy as a political operator develops in no small part due to his experiences with her as the games’ most commanding figure.”
“From the beginning, Viola has been our dream for Dr. Gaul because of the finely layered intelligence and emotion she brings to every role,” added Jacobson. “A brilliant and eccentric strategist, Gaul is instrumental in shaping a young Coriolanus Snow into the man he will become. We are incredibly fortunate to have an actor with Viola’s extraordinary range and presence to play this pivotal role.”
Davis is a multi award-winning actress, known for, among many other things, The Help, Doubt, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - which all earned her Oscar nominations, and Fences in which she won her first Oscar in 2017 for her role opposite Denzel Washington. She’s also won 2 Tonys, an Emmy, multiple SAG Awards, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA! Next up she’s starring in Sony’s historical epic The Woman King, which she also produced. What a powerhouse! She seems like the perfect choice to bring all kinds of interesting layers to this twisted character. I can’t wait to see what she does with the role.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes debuts in theaters on Nov. 17, 2023.
