“Jar Jar Binks makes the Ewoks look like fucking Shaft.” – Tim Bisley, Spaced, “Change” (2001).
Reviews for The Phantom Menace were, it’s fair to say, mixed. Looking back on it, that’s understandable. It’s a mixed film. After a lot of excitement and hype for the return of the game-changing franchise, some anti-climax was inevitable. 133 minutes and countless midi-chlorians later, a sense of disappointment gave way to rage for some.
Attack of the Clones had an improved, if not stellar, critical reception and Revenge of the Sith continued this trend to be recognized as the best of the three. That said, despite the upward trajectory there was a sense that these films would never recover from their initial mauling and that their lasting legacy would be their failure to recapture the magic of the Original Trilogy in a sustained way.
But 25 years after the release of The Phantom Menace,...
Reviews for The Phantom Menace were, it’s fair to say, mixed. Looking back on it, that’s understandable. It’s a mixed film. After a lot of excitement and hype for the return of the game-changing franchise, some anti-climax was inevitable. 133 minutes and countless midi-chlorians later, a sense of disappointment gave way to rage for some.
Attack of the Clones had an improved, if not stellar, critical reception and Revenge of the Sith continued this trend to be recognized as the best of the three. That said, despite the upward trajectory there was a sense that these films would never recover from their initial mauling and that their lasting legacy would be their failure to recapture the magic of the Original Trilogy in a sustained way.
But 25 years after the release of The Phantom Menace,...
- 3/26/2024
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
In an interesting turn of events, “Star Wars” creator George Lucas publicly supports Disney CEO Bob Iger and the Walt Disney Company board against the activist investor groups trying to obtain board seats. This is highly ironic given that George Lucas was very vocal about how he felt betrayed by Bob Iger. Iger himself even talked about how Lucas felt betrayed in his book.
Now, George Lucas has seemingly put out this statement saying, “Creating magic is not for amateurs. When I sold Lucasfilm just over a decade ago. I was delighted to become a Disney shareholder because of my long-time admiration for its iconic brand and Bob Iger’s leadership. When Bob recently returned to the company during a difficult time, I was relieved. No one knows Disney better. I remain a significant shareholder because I have full faith and confidence in the power of Disney and Bob’s...
Now, George Lucas has seemingly put out this statement saying, “Creating magic is not for amateurs. When I sold Lucasfilm just over a decade ago. I was delighted to become a Disney shareholder because of my long-time admiration for its iconic brand and Bob Iger’s leadership. When Bob recently returned to the company during a difficult time, I was relieved. No one knows Disney better. I remain a significant shareholder because I have full faith and confidence in the power of Disney and Bob’s...
- 3/19/2024
- by Kambrea Pratt
- Pirates & Princesses
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Adapted Screenplay Oppenheimer, from left: Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, 2023. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Cord Jefferson stands on the brink of potentially making history in the adapted screenplay category with “American Fiction,” potentially becoming only the second...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Adapted Screenplay Oppenheimer, from left: Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, 2023. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Cord Jefferson stands on the brink of potentially making history in the adapted screenplay category with “American Fiction,” potentially becoming only the second...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Fionnula Flanagan, Hunter Schafer, Ashley Liao, Joshua Kantara, Amélie Hoeferle, Hunter Schafer | Written by Michael Lesslie, Michael Arndt | Directed by Francis Lawrence
It’s been eight years since we last visited the world of Panem. Now the world spans to five films and this time we’re sent back over 60 years to see the 10th annual Hunger Games and the rise of Coriolanus Snow. This time Snow is played by newcomer Tom Blyth, who has to carry the runtime of the film all by himself. He’s joined for the most part by Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray.
The two leads carry the film effortlessly, Tom Blyth in particular does a fantastic job of giving complexity to Snow, showcasing a flawed but ambitious character as we slowly see his loss of humanity grow on screen. The film, unlike its predecessors,...
It’s been eight years since we last visited the world of Panem. Now the world spans to five films and this time we’re sent back over 60 years to see the 10th annual Hunger Games and the rise of Coriolanus Snow. This time Snow is played by newcomer Tom Blyth, who has to carry the runtime of the film all by himself. He’s joined for the most part by Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray.
The two leads carry the film effortlessly, Tom Blyth in particular does a fantastic job of giving complexity to Snow, showcasing a flawed but ambitious character as we slowly see his loss of humanity grow on screen. The film, unlike its predecessors,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Alex Ginnelly
- Nerdly
Literary agency Verve has parted ways with CEO Bill Weinstein.
“We thank Bill as a co-founder and for his 14 years of service and wish him nothing but success in his future,” Verve leadership said in a statement Monday.
No reason was given by the agency, although the decision “was made after thoughtful deliberation by Verve’s leadership and approved by Verve’s board and owners,” according to the email announcing the ouster. Some sources have said the move could be financial; the agency, with a strong focus on the literary, was hit hard during the strikes last year. That, coupled with a contraction in television, is hitting many companies and the agency may be no exception. The company rebuffed acquisition overtures from Gersh last summer.
Verve will not be naming a new CEO. The responsibilities of that role will be shared by the founders and managing partner, Liz Parker.
Weinstein...
“We thank Bill as a co-founder and for his 14 years of service and wish him nothing but success in his future,” Verve leadership said in a statement Monday.
No reason was given by the agency, although the decision “was made after thoughtful deliberation by Verve’s leadership and approved by Verve’s board and owners,” according to the email announcing the ouster. Some sources have said the move could be financial; the agency, with a strong focus on the literary, was hit hard during the strikes last year. That, coupled with a contraction in television, is hitting many companies and the agency may be no exception. The company rebuffed acquisition overtures from Gersh last summer.
Verve will not be naming a new CEO. The responsibilities of that role will be shared by the founders and managing partner, Liz Parker.
Weinstein...
- 2/20/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Leviathan 4K Uhd from Kino Lorber
Leviathan plunges onto 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on February 20 via Kino Lorber. The 1989 sci-fi/horror film been newly restored in 4K from the 35mm interpositive with Dolby Vision/Hdr and 5.1 surround and lossless 2.0 audio.
George P. Cosmatos directs from a script by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart. Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, Daniel Stern, Ernie Hudson, Michael Carmine, Lisa Eilbacher, and Héctor Elizondo star.
Special features include: a new commentary by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; Leviathan: Monster Melting Pot featurette; interviews with Hudson and Elizondo; the trailer; and reversible artwork.
Pumpkinhead & Killer Klowns Puppets from Toynk
Reach out and grab some fun with Toynk’s Reachers,...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Leviathan 4K Uhd from Kino Lorber
Leviathan plunges onto 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on February 20 via Kino Lorber. The 1989 sci-fi/horror film been newly restored in 4K from the 35mm interpositive with Dolby Vision/Hdr and 5.1 surround and lossless 2.0 audio.
George P. Cosmatos directs from a script by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart. Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, Daniel Stern, Ernie Hudson, Michael Carmine, Lisa Eilbacher, and Héctor Elizondo star.
Special features include: a new commentary by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; Leviathan: Monster Melting Pot featurette; interviews with Hudson and Elizondo; the trailer; and reversible artwork.
Pumpkinhead & Killer Klowns Puppets from Toynk
Reach out and grab some fun with Toynk’s Reachers,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Focus Features’ “The Holdovers” is one of the sweetest movies of the year and is set to become a new Christmas classic. Written by David Hemingson and directed by Alexander Payne, the 1970s-set story follows Paul Giamatti as a school professor tasked with staying behind on campus to look after students not going home for Christmas. What follows is a charming, touching tale about two foes who learn to become friends. Giamatti gives a knockout performance while Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a hot contender for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a cook mourning the death of her son. The movie’s strongest point, however, is its writing.
“Whiskey Cavalier” creator and “Black-Ish” and “American Dad!” scribe David Hemingson crafted the script. He has never been nominated for an Oscar before but we expect that that he’ll win one this year. We’re predicting he will take home...
“Whiskey Cavalier” creator and “Black-Ish” and “American Dad!” scribe David Hemingson crafted the script. He has never been nominated for an Oscar before but we expect that that he’ll win one this year. We’re predicting he will take home...
- 12/20/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.
Enter the arena again when “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” arrives on premium video on demand and premium electronic sell-through on Dec. 19 from Lionsgate. The film will be available to buy for $24.99 and to rent for $19.99 on participating digital platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and Vudu.
Based on the Suzanne Collins novel of the same name, the prequel centers on Panem’s President Snow — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen’s games. Tom Blyth’s Coriolanus Snow is an Academy student tasked with mentoring District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird, played by Rachel Zegler, in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Their pairing sets off a series of events that force Snow to battle his instincts for good and evil. Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera,...
Enter the arena again when “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” arrives on premium video on demand and premium electronic sell-through on Dec. 19 from Lionsgate. The film will be available to buy for $24.99 and to rent for $19.99 on participating digital platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and Vudu.
Based on the Suzanne Collins novel of the same name, the prequel centers on Panem’s President Snow — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen’s games. Tom Blyth’s Coriolanus Snow is an Academy student tasked with mentoring District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird, played by Rachel Zegler, in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Their pairing sets off a series of events that force Snow to battle his instincts for good and evil. Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Alexander Payne‘s movies often fare well in the writing categories at the Oscars with four of his films so far nominated for either Best Original Screenplay or Best Adapted Screenplay.
His second movie, “Election,” was nominated for only Adapted Screenplay in 2000 after it turned Tom Perrotta’s 1998 novel of the same name into a film. Payne was nominated with his writing partner Jim Taylor, although they lost to John Irving for “The Cider House Rules.” “Sideways” then picked up five nominations in 2005 including an Adapted Screenplay bid for Payne and Taylor after they turned Rex Pickett’s 2004 novel of the same name into a hit movie. Payne and Taylor won this time around.
In 2012, “The Descendants” repeated the record of “Sideways,” matching five nominations and one Adapted Screenplay victory. This time, Payne won alongside Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. They adapted the 2007 novel of the same name from Kaui Hart Hemmings.
His second movie, “Election,” was nominated for only Adapted Screenplay in 2000 after it turned Tom Perrotta’s 1998 novel of the same name into a film. Payne was nominated with his writing partner Jim Taylor, although they lost to John Irving for “The Cider House Rules.” “Sideways” then picked up five nominations in 2005 including an Adapted Screenplay bid for Payne and Taylor after they turned Rex Pickett’s 2004 novel of the same name into a hit movie. Payne and Taylor won this time around.
In 2012, “The Descendants” repeated the record of “Sideways,” matching five nominations and one Adapted Screenplay victory. This time, Payne won alongside Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. They adapted the 2007 novel of the same name from Kaui Hart Hemmings.
- 11/24/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Fantasy is a genre that is often hard done by the awards groups, particularly the academy. Occasionally, the odd masterpiece such as Peter Jackson‘s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which won 17 Oscars, will break their barrier but, in general, the genre doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Even “Harry Potter” failed to earn an Oscar win and was never nominated in any above-the-line category.
However, Andrew Haigh‘s “All of Us Strangers” is poised to be the next fantastical film that makes the academy’s voters sit up and take notice. Part romance, part ghost story, the film is loosely based on Taichi Yamada‘s 1987 novel “Strangers.” The story follows Andrew Scott‘s Adam as a writer struggling with his latest project who forms a relationship with Paul Mescal‘s Harry. As their relationship progresses, Adam finds himself drawn to his past and visits his hometown only...
However, Andrew Haigh‘s “All of Us Strangers” is poised to be the next fantastical film that makes the academy’s voters sit up and take notice. Part romance, part ghost story, the film is loosely based on Taichi Yamada‘s 1987 novel “Strangers.” The story follows Andrew Scott‘s Adam as a writer struggling with his latest project who forms a relationship with Paul Mescal‘s Harry. As their relationship progresses, Adam finds himself drawn to his past and visits his hometown only...
- 11/24/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Director Francis Lawrence spoke to us about adapting Suzanne Collins’ mammoth novel and what didn’t make it into the film and one character whose arc changed significantly from the book.
Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes is the longest book in the franchise. Equally, Francis Lawrence’s film adaptation is the longest one of the five The Hunger Games films, but only by 11 minutes, as he pointed out during our exclusive interview.
Obviously, not everything from the book made it into the film and similarly, not everything we spoke to Lawrence about made it into the interview piece we published last week. As well as talking about digging into President Snow’s backstory and returning to Panem, we also spoke about the difficulties of adapting such a huge book.
“It’s definitely a process. We worked on the script for close to two years...
Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes is the longest book in the franchise. Equally, Francis Lawrence’s film adaptation is the longest one of the five The Hunger Games films, but only by 11 minutes, as he pointed out during our exclusive interview.
Obviously, not everything from the book made it into the film and similarly, not everything we spoke to Lawrence about made it into the interview piece we published last week. As well as talking about digging into President Snow’s backstory and returning to Panem, we also spoke about the difficulties of adapting such a huge book.
“It’s definitely a process. We worked on the script for close to two years...
- 11/22/2023
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
Stars: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Fionnula Flanagan, Hunter Schafer, Ashley Liao, Joshua Kantara, Amélie Hoeferle, Hunter Schafer | Written by Michael Lesslie, Michael Arndt | Directed by Francis Lawrence
It’s been eight years since we last visited the world of Panem. Now the world spans to five films and this time we’re sent back over 60 years to see the 10th annual Hunger Games and the rise of Coriolanus Snow. This time Snow is played by newcomer Tom Blyth, who has to carry the runtime of the film all by himself. He’s joined for the most part by Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray.
The two leads carry the film effortlessly, Tom Blyth in particular does a fantastic job of giving complexity to Snow, showcasing a flawed but ambitious character as we slowly see his loss of humanity grow on screen. The film, unlike its predecessors,...
It’s been eight years since we last visited the world of Panem. Now the world spans to five films and this time we’re sent back over 60 years to see the 10th annual Hunger Games and the rise of Coriolanus Snow. This time Snow is played by newcomer Tom Blyth, who has to carry the runtime of the film all by himself. He’s joined for the most part by Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray.
The two leads carry the film effortlessly, Tom Blyth in particular does a fantastic job of giving complexity to Snow, showcasing a flawed but ambitious character as we slowly see his loss of humanity grow on screen. The film, unlike its predecessors,...
- 11/20/2023
- by Alex Ginnelly
- Nerdly
Rachel Zegler stars in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and recently recalled an encounter she had with Og star Jennifer Lawrence.
While making an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Zegler opened up about meeting Lawrence during the Christian Dior runway show at Paris Fashion Week.
“I didn’t want to be weird. I was just kind of psyching myself up to talk to her. She was so unbelievably kind,” Zegler said of being the only cast member of the prequel film to have met Lawrence.
From that encounter, a photo of Zegler and Lawrence went viral and the West Side Story alum explained what was really going on in the image.
“In that clip, [Jennifer is] actually saying, ‘Let’s do another photo where I’m strangling you and saying you’ll never take my part!’ And that’s exactly what I wanted from her,” Zegler explained.
While making an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Zegler opened up about meeting Lawrence during the Christian Dior runway show at Paris Fashion Week.
“I didn’t want to be weird. I was just kind of psyching myself up to talk to her. She was so unbelievably kind,” Zegler said of being the only cast member of the prequel film to have met Lawrence.
From that encounter, a photo of Zegler and Lawrence went viral and the West Side Story alum explained what was really going on in the image.
“In that clip, [Jennifer is] actually saying, ‘Let’s do another photo where I’m strangling you and saying you’ll never take my part!’ And that’s exactly what I wanted from her,” Zegler explained.
- 11/18/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on Wbgr-fm on November 16th, 2023, reviewing “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” the latest in the popular series. In theaters on November 17th, 2023.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The future president of the dystopian Land of Panem, Cornelius Snow (Tom Blyth) is called on to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) for the 10th Hunger Games, who is a troubadour singer from District 12. She is defiant even as she begins the process, run by the infamous Hunger Game master Dr. Gaul (Viola Davis) and facilitated by the Dean of the Academy, Cas Highbottom (Peter Dinklage). Snow creates advantages for Lucy, and their teaming foreshadows other future events, even as romance is blossoming.
”The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” is in theaters on November 17th. Featuring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage,...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The future president of the dystopian Land of Panem, Cornelius Snow (Tom Blyth) is called on to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) for the 10th Hunger Games, who is a troubadour singer from District 12. She is defiant even as she begins the process, run by the infamous Hunger Game master Dr. Gaul (Viola Davis) and facilitated by the Dean of the Academy, Cas Highbottom (Peter Dinklage). Snow creates advantages for Lucy, and their teaming foreshadows other future events, even as romance is blossoming.
”The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” is in theaters on November 17th. Featuring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage,...
- 11/18/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Nearly a decade after the original series of film chronicling the story of Panem and the Hunger Games, the prequel story The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes attempts to breathe new life into a dormant franchise that ultimately should have been left to rest on its laurels.
Set sixty-four years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute to save her sister from certain death in the Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes tells the tale of a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) who is assigned to mentor tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) in the tenth session of the games. Snow, who comes from a once powerful family that has now fallen upon more lean financial times, sees his alliance with Lucy Gray as an opportunity to restore his family’s social and financial status.
Still in its relative infancy, the Games are...
Set sixty-four years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute to save her sister from certain death in the Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes tells the tale of a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) who is assigned to mentor tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) in the tenth session of the games. Snow, who comes from a once powerful family that has now fallen upon more lean financial times, sees his alliance with Lucy Gray as an opportunity to restore his family’s social and financial status.
Still in its relative infancy, the Games are...
- 11/17/2023
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
The book The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, written by Suzanne Collins, has been adapted for the screen by director Francis Lawrence, alongside screenwriters Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. The film delves into the chillingly formative years of Panem, a society not yet inured to the brutality of its central spectacle. This prequel, starkly contrasting its YA predecessors, morphs into a harrowing adult political thriller, unraveling the genesis of the Hunger Games with a disturbingly poignant lens — that is, when it can get out of its own way.
The film stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman and Hunter Schafer.
The film starts during the dark days before the first Hunger Games. Two children, Coriolanus (Dexter Sol Ansell) and Tigris (Rosa Gotzler) are running for their lives in a snowy Panem. They arrive at the home of their grandmother and receive news that...
The film stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman and Hunter Schafer.
The film starts during the dark days before the first Hunger Games. Two children, Coriolanus (Dexter Sol Ansell) and Tigris (Rosa Gotzler) are running for their lives in a snowy Panem. They arrive at the home of their grandmother and receive news that...
- 11/15/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
It would’ve been so easy, and likely lucrative, for Lionsgate to craft a prequel to The Hunger Games that just let newcomer Tom Blyth, as young Coriolanus Snow, smolder his way through a forbidden romance with Rachel Zegler’s District 12 songstress Lucy Gray for two hours and call it a day. But nothing about Francis Lawrence’s The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is easy. Channeling Adam Driver more often than Donald Sutherland, Blyth’s version of Snow is a towering, asexual vulture of desperate ambitions, stemming from the character’s family flirting with complete bankruptcy and his education at a fascist prep school where graduation is dependent on what boils down to a school-wide game of Who Wants to Be a Eugenicist.
The school’s opioid-addicted headmaster, Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), announces that graduation is dependent on mentoring a Hunger Games tribute in the fine art of public relations.
The school’s opioid-addicted headmaster, Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), announces that graduation is dependent on mentoring a Hunger Games tribute in the fine art of public relations.
- 11/15/2023
- by Justin Clark
- Slant Magazine
Olivia Rodrigo is contributing her music to the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes with “Can’t Catch Me Now.”
The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum attended the premiere of the film in L.A. as her music video also dropped.
The “Can’t Catch Me Now” video was directed by award-winning director Leonn Ward of Rsa’s Black Dog Films. This is the first time that Rodrigo contributes to a film’s soundtrack, a song she penned with producer Daniel Nigro who has been working with the singer-songwriter on her album Guts.
Rodrigo’s song will be part of the 17-track album that is being released on Nov. 17 and which will also include songs by star Rachel Zegler, Flatland Cavalry, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell, Bella White and Charles Godwin.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is...
The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum attended the premiere of the film in L.A. as her music video also dropped.
The “Can’t Catch Me Now” video was directed by award-winning director Leonn Ward of Rsa’s Black Dog Films. This is the first time that Rodrigo contributes to a film’s soundtrack, a song she penned with producer Daniel Nigro who has been working with the singer-songwriter on her album Guts.
Rodrigo’s song will be part of the 17-track album that is being released on Nov. 17 and which will also include songs by star Rachel Zegler, Flatland Cavalry, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell, Bella White and Charles Godwin.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is...
- 11/14/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes had its world premiere at London’s BFI Imax this evening, with a red carpet that featured director Francis Lawrence and stars Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andres Rivera and more.
The return to the Suzanne Collins franchise that’s based on her prequel novel marks the first major world premiere outside of a festival to include actors on the media line since the SAG-AFTRA strike started in July. Even if the guild and the studios had not reached a tentative agreement to end the strike last night, the film had already secured an Interim Agreement with Lionsgate a non-amptp company.
Regardless, the team was effusive about the end of the strife. Producer Nina Jacobson said that she was among the folks “screaming with joy” that the strike is over, having learned about it during a...
The return to the Suzanne Collins franchise that’s based on her prequel novel marks the first major world premiere outside of a festival to include actors on the media line since the SAG-AFTRA strike started in July. Even if the guild and the studios had not reached a tentative agreement to end the strike last night, the film had already secured an Interim Agreement with Lionsgate a non-amptp company.
Regardless, the team was effusive about the end of the strife. Producer Nina Jacobson said that she was among the folks “screaming with joy” that the strike is over, having learned about it during a...
- 11/9/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s hard to build much intrigue into whether a love-struck teen with a seemingly gentle heart and firm moral compass will betray those who trust him and cross over to the dark side when his name is Coriolanus Snow and we know from four previous films that he will grow up to be an evil overlord played with chilling authority by Donald Sutherland. Even less so once he joins the fascistic “Peacekeeper” ranks and trades his floppy blond locks for a Hitler Youth buzz cut.
That’s just one of the limitations of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a lumbering prequel to the blockbuster battle royale series based on Suzanne Collins’ YA novels, the global grosses for which are nearing $3 billion.
Beyond the fact that Collins penned a 2020 follow-up set 64 years before the events of the original book trilogy, and of course the market reality...
That’s just one of the limitations of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a lumbering prequel to the blockbuster battle royale series based on Suzanne Collins’ YA novels, the global grosses for which are nearing $3 billion.
Beyond the fact that Collins penned a 2020 follow-up set 64 years before the events of the original book trilogy, and of course the market reality...
- 11/9/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For better or worse, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes" cuts directly to the heart of the matter in the early going. Set only 10 years after the first rebellion of the various Districts that led to the implementation of the Hunger Games in the first place, the wealthy decision-makers of the Capitol are struggling to make the deadly arena fights feel vital and relevant to the battered, war-torn populace of Panem. It's trickier than they thought, as it turns out, to transform collective punishment into mass entertainment. Having assembled some of the best and brightest academy students to help solve this problem, there comes a moment when Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) all but reaches through the screen, channels his inner studio executive, and verbalizes the central issue at the core of a prequel like this: "If the Games are to go on, there must be an audience.
- 11/9/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly it became a thing, but in classically cinematic stories of good vs. evil it’s no longer enough to portray the complexities of the bad side. We now have to go back in time and understand the exact origins of evil. Was Cruella simply misunderstood? How about the Joker? Was he just unjustly treated?
In fairness, Coriolanus Snow, the tyrannical president of the dystopian Panem in the original “Hunger Games” films and novels, was never as one-dimensional as these aforesaid villains. But “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” takes a page out of the playbook of their origin stories and gives us an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ 2020 prequel novel with wildly mixed, overlong and clumsily paced results.
Directed by “Mockingjay Part 1 & 2” filmmaker Francis Lawrence, and written by Michael Lesslie (“Assassin’s Creed”) and Michael Arndt (“Catching Fire” and “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens...
In fairness, Coriolanus Snow, the tyrannical president of the dystopian Panem in the original “Hunger Games” films and novels, was never as one-dimensional as these aforesaid villains. But “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” takes a page out of the playbook of their origin stories and gives us an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ 2020 prequel novel with wildly mixed, overlong and clumsily paced results.
Directed by “Mockingjay Part 1 & 2” filmmaker Francis Lawrence, and written by Michael Lesslie (“Assassin’s Creed”) and Michael Arndt (“Catching Fire” and “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens...
- 11/9/2023
- by Tomris Laffly
- The Wrap
Photo: Murray Close/Lionsgate
What is the root of evil? In the YA fiction genre, storytellers often source it to bad breakups and torn friendships, which can transform Prince Charming into the Prince of Darkness. Plain evil isn’t engaging, but evil for evil’s sake can be wildly compelling,...
What is the root of evil? In the YA fiction genre, storytellers often source it to bad breakups and torn friendships, which can transform Prince Charming into the Prince of Darkness. Plain evil isn’t engaging, but evil for evil’s sake can be wildly compelling,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Eric Francisco
- avclub.com
Does anyone still have an appetite for the Hunger Games? That is the question asked in and by Francis Lawrence’s “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” a prequel that’s set 64 years before the first novel in Suzanne Collins’ dystopian battle royale trilogy, and being released into theaters almost eight years since the last of the four movies that Lionsgate adapted from it.
In Panem’s war-ravaged past, the wealthy citizens of the Capitol have lost interest in watching children from the food-starved outer districts fight to the death as an annual reminder of their parents’ failed rebellion against the fascistic elite. In our war-ravaged present, Hollywood’s brief love affair with YA books about teens overthrowing literature’s goofiest totalitarian regimes has given way to the realities of a much scarier and more complicated world, and the same kids who once obsessed over the Scorch Trials or Katniss...
In Panem’s war-ravaged past, the wealthy citizens of the Capitol have lost interest in watching children from the food-starved outer districts fight to the death as an annual reminder of their parents’ failed rebellion against the fascistic elite. In our war-ravaged present, Hollywood’s brief love affair with YA books about teens overthrowing literature’s goofiest totalitarian regimes has given way to the realities of a much scarier and more complicated world, and the same kids who once obsessed over the Scorch Trials or Katniss...
- 11/9/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Enter the contest below by following the link at the bottom of this page for your chance to win a pair of passes to attend an advance screening of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 7:00pm at the Mjr Troy!
Synopsis: Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a postwar Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates.
Synopsis: Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a postwar Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates.
- 11/9/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
On November 17th, Geffen Records will release The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Music From & Inspired By) — the official soundtrack to the highly anticipated new film in The Hunger Games saga arriving the same day as the movie’s release.
Last Friday marked the premiere of “The Hanging Tree,” the first song released from the soundtrack. In the upcoming film (a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy), audiences will witness the origin of the storied song when Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler) sings it for the very first time. Also heard in the second official trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, “The Hanging Tree” has been passed down through generations and was previously performed by Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
View the featurette (above) to go behind-the-scenes with The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes director Francis Lawrence,...
Last Friday marked the premiere of “The Hanging Tree,” the first song released from the soundtrack. In the upcoming film (a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy), audiences will witness the origin of the storied song when Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler) sings it for the very first time. Also heard in the second official trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, “The Hanging Tree” has been passed down through generations and was previously performed by Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
View the featurette (above) to go behind-the-scenes with The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes director Francis Lawrence,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
The year has been unpredictable for the film industry. Franchise movies are no longer the audience magnets they once were, with original films and unexpected titles stealing the spotlight. This weekend, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ has secured its place as a frontrunner, captivating audiences and signaling a shift in viewing preferences.
However, despite the changing trends, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is projected to bag a substantial $50 million on its opening weekend, with a production cost tallying up to $100 million. For context, its predecessors had seen grander openings, with figures like $152.5 million for the original Hunger Games in 2012, and ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,’ secured an opening of $102.7 million back in 2015.
The upcoming film is a prequel to the renowned Hunger Games series, set 64 years prior to the original trilogy’s events. Diving into the origins of the ruthless games, the plot revolves around Coriolanus Snow,...
However, despite the changing trends, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is projected to bag a substantial $50 million on its opening weekend, with a production cost tallying up to $100 million. For context, its predecessors had seen grander openings, with figures like $152.5 million for the original Hunger Games in 2012, and ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,’ secured an opening of $102.7 million back in 2015.
The upcoming film is a prequel to the renowned Hunger Games series, set 64 years prior to the original trilogy’s events. Diving into the origins of the ruthless games, the plot revolves around Coriolanus Snow,...
- 10/29/2023
- by Hrvoje Milakovic
- Fiction Horizon
Go behind the scenes of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes with this behind-the-scenes peek at the world of Panem and its characters, 64 years before the first installment of The Hunger Games. Get an in-depth look at the story, costumes, production design, and music with director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
- 10/20/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Director Francis Lawrence walks viewers through the basics of the story in this lengthy behind the scenes video from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. The nearly five-minute video offers a better look at the overall production and ends with Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird performing “The Hanging Tree.”
The cast also includes Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow,Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. Jerome Lance is Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao is Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from District 4; and Aamer Husain plays Felix Ravinstill, mentor to a tribute from District 11.
Fionnula Flanagan plays Grandma’am,...
The cast also includes Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow,Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. Jerome Lance is Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao is Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from District 4; and Aamer Husain plays Felix Ravinstill, mentor to a tribute from District 11.
Fionnula Flanagan plays Grandma’am,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Rachel Zegler’s “The Hanging Tree” from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will be released this Friday, October 20th at 12:00Am Et.
Rachel Zegler in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Photo by Murray Close/Lionsgate/Murray Close/Lionsgate – © 2023 Lionsgate.
In the upcoming film, audiences will witness the origin of the song, when Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) sings it for the first time. “The Hanging Tree” is then passed down through generations, where fans most notably remember Katniss Everdeen singing it during Mockingjay – Part 1. Now, experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.
Rachel Zegler in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Photo by Murray Close/Lionsgate/Murray Close/Lionsgate – © 2023 Lionsgate.
In the upcoming film, audiences will witness the origin of the song, when Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) sings it for the first time. “The Hanging Tree” is then passed down through generations, where fans most notably remember Katniss Everdeen singing it during Mockingjay – Part 1. Now, experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.
- 10/16/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Of all the film series to come out of the young adult fad, "The Hunger Games" is the best. "The Maze Runner" might have better action and set pieces, but "The Hunger Games" is narratively richer. It's also an excellent beginner's guide to how rebellions are formed in the real world, which has kept the franchise feeling uncomfortably topical in the years since it last graced the big screen. There's a reason why a "Hunger Games" revival in 2023 makes loads more sense than rebooting "Twilight" or redoing any of the myriad of failed sci-fi YA novel adaptations that followed in its wake.
There was, however, one unfortunate YA trend that "The Hunger Games" fell victim to, and that was dividing its finale into two parts. Even then, the series fared better than others. Splitting "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" in two allowed "Part 1" to dig deeper into the revolution against the...
There was, however, one unfortunate YA trend that "The Hunger Games" fell victim to, and that was dividing its finale into two parts. Even then, the series fared better than others. Splitting "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" in two allowed "Part 1" to dig deeper into the revolution against the...
- 10/16/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Mexican-born auteur Guillermo del Toro hit the Oscar jackpot with his fantastical love story “The Shape of Water” (2017), which took home four prizes including Best Picture and Best Director. But that’s just one of many eye-popping fantasies he has crafted throughout his career. Let’s take a look back at all 12 of del Toro’s films, ranked worst to best.
Del Toro made his feature directing debut with the Spanish-language horror drama “Cronos” (1993), which established him as a maker of dark, visually-stunning fright-fests. The film wrote him a ticket to Hollywood, where he helmed the creepy chiller “Mimic” (1997). Over the next two decades, he would bounce back-and-forth between mainstream American productions and more personal stories in his native language.
It was for “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006), a fable about a young Mexican girl escaping into a terrifying fantasy realm during the falangist Spain of 1944, that del Toro reaped his first Oscar bid for Best Original Screenplay.
Del Toro made his feature directing debut with the Spanish-language horror drama “Cronos” (1993), which established him as a maker of dark, visually-stunning fright-fests. The film wrote him a ticket to Hollywood, where he helmed the creepy chiller “Mimic” (1997). Over the next two decades, he would bounce back-and-forth between mainstream American productions and more personal stories in his native language.
It was for “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006), a fable about a young Mexican girl escaping into a terrifying fantasy realm during the falangist Spain of 1944, that del Toro reaped his first Oscar bid for Best Original Screenplay.
- 10/7/2023
- by Tom O'Brien, Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem. The new trailer for the latest edition to the “Hunger Games” Saga, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes has just been released and you can check it out right here!
The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post- war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post- war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
- 9/21/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
The full trailer for Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes finds a young Coriolanus Snow falling in love with a tribute who, if he doesn’t figure out a way to alter their fates, will die during the Hunger Games. Billy the Kid‘s Tom Blyth stars as the lovestruck Coriolanus, and West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler stars as the District 12 tribute who Coriolanus is tied up in knots over.
The cast also includes Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. Jerome Lance is Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao is Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from...
The cast also includes Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. Jerome Lance is Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao is Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from...
- 9/20/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Lionsgate has unveiled a brand new, explosive trailer for the upcoming prequel “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” Based on the book of the same name by “Hunger Games” author Suzanne Collins, the story takes place years before the events of the original trilogy, during the 10th Annual Hunger Games.
Tom Blyth plays a young Coriolanus Snow (played in the original films by Donald Sutherland), who is tasked with mentoring a young tribute from District 12 played by Rachel Zegler and helping head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) reshape the Hunger Games into a true spectacle.
The trailer is backed by a new rendition of “The Hanging Tree,” a forbidden song in the world of “The Hunger Games” that was sung by Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss in “Mockingjay.”
Francis Lawrence, who directed “Catching Fire” and the two “Mockingjay” films, directed this prequel from a screenplay by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt.
Tom Blyth plays a young Coriolanus Snow (played in the original films by Donald Sutherland), who is tasked with mentoring a young tribute from District 12 played by Rachel Zegler and helping head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) reshape the Hunger Games into a true spectacle.
The trailer is backed by a new rendition of “The Hanging Tree,” a forbidden song in the world of “The Hunger Games” that was sung by Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss in “Mockingjay.”
Francis Lawrence, who directed “Catching Fire” and the two “Mockingjay” films, directed this prequel from a screenplay by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt.
- 9/20/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Welcome one and all to a new installment in The Hunger Games franchise. The newest trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes debuts online for the world to see. The prequel stars Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow, Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow, and Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth.
The official synopsis from Lionsgate reads,
“Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post- war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow...
The official synopsis from Lionsgate reads,
“Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post- war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow...
- 9/20/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Let the games begin as “Hunger Games” prequel film “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” slithers into theaters soon.
The latest trailer for the film captures the first televised Hunger Games in Panem. Per the official synopsis, after Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler) commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, post-war disgraced Snow family member Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is set 64 years before the events of “Hunger Games.”
Zegler’s Lucy is the tribute for District 12, while Viola Davis plays the Head Gamemaker and Peter Dinklage is the Head of the Academy.
Francis Lawrence...
The latest trailer for the film captures the first televised Hunger Games in Panem. Per the official synopsis, after Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler) commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, post-war disgraced Snow family member Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is set 64 years before the events of “Hunger Games.”
Zegler’s Lucy is the tribute for District 12, while Viola Davis plays the Head Gamemaker and Peter Dinklage is the Head of the Academy.
Francis Lawrence...
- 9/20/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
"Welcome, welcome! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor." Long before Effie Trinket greeted the coal mining citizens of District 12 and Katniss Everdeen volunteered in place of her sister for the 74th annual Hunger Games, thereby starting a revolution, there was Lucy Gray Baird. It's been nearly a decade since "The Hunger Games" film series based on Suzanne Collins' award-winning novels came to a close, but the prequel film based on "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is on its way.
It's a fitting arrival as the U.S. seemingly crumbles into a more fascist state with every passing day — making "The Hunger Games" films feel more relevant now than when they first debuted — but also because "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" focuses on the early years of Coriolanus Snow, the villainous tyrant of "The Hunger Games" played by Donald Sutherland. While the U.
It's a fitting arrival as the U.S. seemingly crumbles into a more fascist state with every passing day — making "The Hunger Games" films feel more relevant now than when they first debuted — but also because "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" focuses on the early years of Coriolanus Snow, the villainous tyrant of "The Hunger Games" played by Donald Sutherland. While the U.
- 9/20/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
The games are beginning again in the new trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The film takes place 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games and stars Tom Blyth as a young Cornelius Snow, who decades later will become the ruthless ruler of Panem, the land where children from each of its districts are forced to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games.
Rachel Zegler stars as Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute and competitor in the Hunger Games who is mentored by Snow. Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman and Viola Davis also star.
Filmmaker Francis Lawrence returns to direct the project after helming three of the four Hunger Games features that starred Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen.
The project is one of a few tentpoles moving ahead with its release amid the SAG-AFTRA strike, which if still...
The film takes place 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games and stars Tom Blyth as a young Cornelius Snow, who decades later will become the ruthless ruler of Panem, the land where children from each of its districts are forced to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games.
Rachel Zegler stars as Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute and competitor in the Hunger Games who is mentored by Snow. Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman and Viola Davis also star.
Filmmaker Francis Lawrence returns to direct the project after helming three of the four Hunger Games features that starred Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen.
The project is one of a few tentpoles moving ahead with its release amid the SAG-AFTRA strike, which if still...
- 9/20/2023
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Animated flicks don’t get the justice they deserve when it comes to the Academy Awards. So often, animated movies are some of the most original, memorable, and well-told stories of the entire year yet they are, more often than not, confined to the category of Best Animated Picture.
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” “Fantasia,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” “Wall-e,” “Shrek,” and last year’s Best Animated Picture winner, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” are just a handful of all-time classic movies that aren’t great animated movies, they are great movies period. Despite this, however, we have only had three animated movies in Oscars history that have been nominated for Best Picture.
“Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated movie to do so, landing a Best Picture bid in 1991. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, “Beauty and the Beast...
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” “Fantasia,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” “Wall-e,” “Shrek,” and last year’s Best Animated Picture winner, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” are just a handful of all-time classic movies that aren’t great animated movies, they are great movies period. Despite this, however, we have only had three animated movies in Oscars history that have been nominated for Best Picture.
“Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated movie to do so, landing a Best Picture bid in 1991. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, “Beauty and the Beast...
- 9/8/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Rachel Zegler Poster (Photo © 2023 Lionsgate)
Lionsgate’s released seven gorgeous character posters for The Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Each of the seven posters is dedicated to a key player in the upcoming prequel, including Rachel Zegler as District 12’s Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as a young Coriolanus Snow.
The posters also feature Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow.
Not pictured are cast members Jerome Lance as Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao as Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from District 4; and Aamer Husain plays Felix Ravinstill,...
Lionsgate’s released seven gorgeous character posters for The Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Each of the seven posters is dedicated to a key player in the upcoming prequel, including Rachel Zegler as District 12’s Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as a young Coriolanus Snow.
The posters also feature Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow.
Not pictured are cast members Jerome Lance as Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao as Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from District 4; and Aamer Husain plays Felix Ravinstill,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) was the face of The Hunger Games franchise, but the upcoming prequel will be introducing a whole new cast, including Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). While speaking with Empire, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes director Francis Lawrence teased just how different this new tribute is from Katniss.
“Katniss was an introvert and a survivor,” Francis Lawrence said. “She was quite quiet and stoic, you could almost say [she was] asexual. Lucy Gray is the opposite. She wears her sexuality on her sleeve, [and] she really is a performer.” Unlike Katniss, Lucy Gray “loves crowds” and “knows how to play crowds and manipulate people.“
Related The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis & more welcome you to The Academy
Taking place decades before the original movies, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes stars Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow,...
“Katniss was an introvert and a survivor,” Francis Lawrence said. “She was quite quiet and stoic, you could almost say [she was] asexual. Lucy Gray is the opposite. She wears her sexuality on her sleeve, [and] she really is a performer.” Unlike Katniss, Lucy Gray “loves crowds” and “knows how to play crowds and manipulate people.“
Related The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis & more welcome you to The Academy
Taking place decades before the original movies, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes stars Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Are you ready to return to the world of Panem? Lionsgate certainly hopes so as they’ve released a new promo for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes which welcomes new students to the Academy.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes promo includes a number of significant players at the Academy, including Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), the Dean of the Academy, Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis), head game maker of the 10th Annual Hunger Games, Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andrés Rivera), and Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth).
For the glory of Panem, we have officially signed up for The Academy! Who else will join us? Head here to sign up for a Fan Alerts to find out more about the latest #HungerGames movie https://t.co/SMGxh6hkQa pic.twitter.com/wRHHCxYbZE
— Fandango (@Fandango) August 8, 2023 Related The Hunger Games: Jennifer Lawrence would “totally” play Katniss...
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes promo includes a number of significant players at the Academy, including Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), the Dean of the Academy, Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis), head game maker of the 10th Annual Hunger Games, Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andrés Rivera), and Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth).
For the glory of Panem, we have officially signed up for The Academy! Who else will join us? Head here to sign up for a Fan Alerts to find out more about the latest #HungerGames movie https://t.co/SMGxh6hkQa pic.twitter.com/wRHHCxYbZE
— Fandango (@Fandango) August 8, 2023 Related The Hunger Games: Jennifer Lawrence would “totally” play Katniss...
- 8/8/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: The Austin Film Festival has set producer Lauren Shuler Donner, writer-producer James V. Hart and filmmaker So Young Shelly Yo as honorees of its 30th edition, taking place from October 26 – November 2.
Donner will receive the Polly Platt Award for Producing, with Hart claiming the the Heart of Film Award and Shelly accepting the New Voice Award.
Introduced in 2019 as a means of honoring producers with a keen sense of story and a history of fostering new talent, the Producing prize has previously been bestowed upon Dede Garner, Stephanie Allain and Sarah Green.
Coming in recognition of Hart’s contributions to film and television, as well as his service to the screenwriting community, the Heart of Film Award has also since 2013 been bestowed on the likes of Enchanted producer Barry Josephson and Beverly Hills Cop scribe Daniel Petrie Jr.
Also established in 2019 was the New Voice Award, recognizing unique and captivating new voices in film,...
Donner will receive the Polly Platt Award for Producing, with Hart claiming the the Heart of Film Award and Shelly accepting the New Voice Award.
Introduced in 2019 as a means of honoring producers with a keen sense of story and a history of fostering new talent, the Producing prize has previously been bestowed upon Dede Garner, Stephanie Allain and Sarah Green.
Coming in recognition of Hart’s contributions to film and television, as well as his service to the screenwriting community, the Heart of Film Award has also since 2013 been bestowed on the likes of Enchanted producer Barry Josephson and Beverly Hills Cop scribe Daniel Petrie Jr.
Also established in 2019 was the New Voice Award, recognizing unique and captivating new voices in film,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Mumbai, Aug 4 (Ians) Francis Lawrence, the director of the fifth installment of the cult-favorite ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’, has opened up on his choice to cast Rachel Zegler as Lucy in the film. He also spoke about the four-hour meeting between the two.
The film is a dystopian science fiction action thriller film with screenplay written by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. It is based on the 2020 novel ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins’.
The film stars an ensemble cast including Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer and Tom Blythe.
Talking about casting Rachel Zegler, Francis Lawrence said, “I mean, you know, the thing is, 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”.
He further mentioned, “So she’s emotional,...
The film is a dystopian science fiction action thriller film with screenplay written by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. It is based on the 2020 novel ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins’.
The film stars an ensemble cast including Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer and Tom Blythe.
Talking about casting Rachel Zegler, Francis Lawrence said, “I mean, you know, the thing is, 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”.
He further mentioned, “So she’s emotional,...
- 8/4/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Jennifer Lawrence is addressing rumors she filmed a cameo for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
The No Hard Feelings star made an appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live and host Andy Cohen read a viewer question about a rumor Lawrence would “appear in The Hunger Games prequel as Katniss’s grandmother” as the film takes place 49 years before the events of the first movie.
“Oh, ’cause I’m 49 in Hollywood years, huh?” Lawrence quipped.
She then said, “No, that’s not true,” denying she would make an appearance in the prequel film.
Cohen asked Lawrence if she took anything from The Hunger Games set and the Oscar winner said she took a bow and arrow and the boots “from like every movie” that she keeps in her closet.
Watch Lawrence on Wwhl in the video posted below.
Jennifer Lawrence reacts to the rumors that...
The No Hard Feelings star made an appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live and host Andy Cohen read a viewer question about a rumor Lawrence would “appear in The Hunger Games prequel as Katniss’s grandmother” as the film takes place 49 years before the events of the first movie.
“Oh, ’cause I’m 49 in Hollywood years, huh?” Lawrence quipped.
She then said, “No, that’s not true,” denying she would make an appearance in the prequel film.
Cohen asked Lawrence if she took anything from The Hunger Games set and the Oscar winner said she took a bow and arrow and the boots “from like every movie” that she keeps in her closet.
Watch Lawrence on Wwhl in the video posted below.
Jennifer Lawrence reacts to the rumors that...
- 6/27/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Lionsgate’s unveiled the official trailer for The Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, seven months out from its theatrical release. The nearly three-minute trailer opens with Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul (Oscar winner Viola Davis) introducing the creator of the Hunger Games, Dean Cesca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage). Highbottom confirms the 10th annual Hunger Games are about to get underway and introduces the tributes chosen to fight to the death.
The trailer shows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and the tribute he’ll be mentoring, District 12’s Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). We’re also treated to our first look at a young Lucky Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman), the first-ever host of the Hunger Games and an ancestor of Caesar Flickerman.
“What happens in there, fueled with the terror of becoming prey, see how quickly we become predator. See how quickly civilation disappears,” says Gaul as the Hunger Games commence.
The trailer shows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and the tribute he’ll be mentoring, District 12’s Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). We’re also treated to our first look at a young Lucky Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman), the first-ever host of the Hunger Games and an ancestor of Caesar Flickerman.
“What happens in there, fueled with the terror of becoming prey, see how quickly we become predator. See how quickly civilation disappears,” says Gaul as the Hunger Games commence.
- 4/27/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
In the near-decade since the "Hunger Games" movies signed off with "Mockingjay — Part 2" in 2015, life in the real world has gotten substantially better. Just kidding! With every passing year, Suzanne Collins' dystopian vision of the future only seems to gain new prescience. Coupled with older millennials' nostalgia for the franchise and Gen-Zers discovering just how (unfortunately) relatable the post-apocalyptic setting of Panem truly is, "The Hunger Games" is arguably more relevant than ever.
Lionsgate, in other words, couldn't have picked a more fortuitous moment to revive the brand with this year's "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." The upcoming movie is based on Collins' 2020 novel of the same name and acts as a prequel to the original "Hunger Games" tetralogy, diving deeply into the backstory for Donald Sutherland's older, Machiavellian, blood-coughing President Coriolanus Snow.
Up-and-comer Tom Blyth stars in the prequel as the decades-younger Coriolanus, also...
Lionsgate, in other words, couldn't have picked a more fortuitous moment to revive the brand with this year's "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." The upcoming movie is based on Collins' 2020 novel of the same name and acts as a prequel to the original "Hunger Games" tetralogy, diving deeply into the backstory for Donald Sutherland's older, Machiavellian, blood-coughing President Coriolanus Snow.
Up-and-comer Tom Blyth stars in the prequel as the decades-younger Coriolanus, also...
- 4/27/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Lionsgate’s brief CinemaCon presentation (90 minutes of the two hours allotted was used for a screening of “Joy Ride”) was highlighted by the first look at “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songburds and Snakes,” the first trailer for which is now online.
The trailer, which will debut in theaters with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” next week, introduces viewers to the tenth annual Hunger Games competition, telling a story of how the future President Snow (played in the four “Hunger Games” movies by Donald Sutherland) mentored a promising 12th district competitor and, well, if you’ve seen the movies or read the books you can presume it doesn’t end well for the good guys. Snow will be played by Tom Blyth while Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”) will play Lucy Gray Baird.
Also Read:
Netflix Has Achieved Gender Equity in Leading Roles, USC Annenberg Inclusion Study Reveals...
The trailer, which will debut in theaters with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” next week, introduces viewers to the tenth annual Hunger Games competition, telling a story of how the future President Snow (played in the four “Hunger Games” movies by Donald Sutherland) mentored a promising 12th district competitor and, well, if you’ve seen the movies or read the books you can presume it doesn’t end well for the good guys. Snow will be played by Tom Blyth while Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”) will play Lucy Gray Baird.
Also Read:
Netflix Has Achieved Gender Equity in Leading Roles, USC Annenberg Inclusion Study Reveals...
- 4/27/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Ready to return to The Hunger Games?
Lionsgate has dropped the first official trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the latest franchise installment based on Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel, a New York Times best-seller.
“Fans want to know and see the origins of this story,” said Lionsgate’s Adam Fogelson, vice chair motion picture group at CinemaCon, likening the project to prequels such as Wicked or Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
The film stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman and Viola Davis, for director Francis Lawrence.
The prequel’s logline from Lionsgate reads: “Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young...
Lionsgate has dropped the first official trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the latest franchise installment based on Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel, a New York Times best-seller.
“Fans want to know and see the origins of this story,” said Lionsgate’s Adam Fogelson, vice chair motion picture group at CinemaCon, likening the project to prequels such as Wicked or Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
The film stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman and Viola Davis, for director Francis Lawrence.
The prequel’s logline from Lionsgate reads: “Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young...
- 4/27/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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