Lionsgate has announced that it has cast Tom Blyth as a young Coriolanus Snow in its prequel to The Hunger Games; The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The film is early in production, but Tom Blyth, the lead in Epix's Billy the Kid television series and the 2021 film Benediction, has been cast as the young man who will become the brutal and conniving President, who was portrayed by Donald Sutherland in the previous films.
“Tom Blyth is an explosive rising talent whose mesmerizing and charismatic presence makes him an exciting actor and perfect for this leading role,” said Erin Westerman, President of Production, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
It's been seven years since Katniss Everdeen put an arrow in the tyrannical regime of the Capitol in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part Two. But rather than continue that tale, Lionsgate's upcoming movie is an adaptation of the prequel novel from author Suzanne Collins. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes jumps back a few years to tell the story of Coriolanus Snow and his rise to power.
Snow is only one-half of the main characters in the prequel. The 18-year-old heir of a dying family of elites is tasked with being the mentor of Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12 who has to participate in the 10th Hunger Games. When Lucy sings in defiance during the reaping ceremonies, Snow sees a potential vector to power. The production has yet to find its Lucy.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously directed Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part One, and Mockingjay Part Two. The film will be produced by Nina Jacobson and Bard Simpson, with Tim Palen and author Suzanne Collins as executive producers. The current screenplay was written by Michael Leslie, who previously scripted Macbeth and Assassin's Creed, both of which starred Michael Fassbender.
Jacobson has previously mentioned how the prequel will differ from the original Hunger Games trilogy. "Well it is very early on, they do take place in very different times," Jacobson said. "This is the 10th Hunger Games as opposed to Catching Fire's 75th. I think that the Hunger Games are considerably less glitzy than they ultimately become. And I think that seeing a Capitol character with a point of view that takes you through a good part of the story is something we've never really done."
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.
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The film is early in production, but Tom Blyth, the lead in Epix's Billy the Kid television series and the 2021 film Benediction, has been cast as the young man who will become the brutal and conniving President, who was portrayed by Donald Sutherland in the previous films.
“Tom Blyth is an explosive rising talent whose mesmerizing and charismatic presence makes him an exciting actor and perfect for this leading role,” said Erin Westerman, President of Production, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
It's been seven years since Katniss Everdeen put an arrow in the tyrannical regime of the Capitol in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part Two. But rather than continue that tale, Lionsgate's upcoming movie is an adaptation of the prequel novel from author Suzanne Collins. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes jumps back a few years to tell the story of Coriolanus Snow and his rise to power.
Snow is only one-half of the main characters in the prequel. The 18-year-old heir of a dying family of elites is tasked with being the mentor of Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12 who has to participate in the 10th Hunger Games. When Lucy sings in defiance during the reaping ceremonies, Snow sees a potential vector to power. The production has yet to find its Lucy.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously directed Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part One, and Mockingjay Part Two. The film will be produced by Nina Jacobson and Bard Simpson, with Tim Palen and author Suzanne Collins as executive producers. The current screenplay was written by Michael Leslie, who previously scripted Macbeth and Assassin's Creed, both of which starred Michael Fassbender.
Jacobson has previously mentioned how the prequel will differ from the original Hunger Games trilogy. "Well it is very early on, they do take place in very different times," Jacobson said. "This is the 10th Hunger Games as opposed to Catching Fire's 75th. I think that the Hunger Games are considerably less glitzy than they ultimately become. And I think that seeing a Capitol character with a point of view that takes you through a good part of the story is something we've never really done."
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.
Continue reading...