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Why The Hunger Games Prequel Isn't Your Average Franchise Film

A producer attached to The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes film explains why this isn't your typical franchise film.

We love a good franchise film, but of course, there's always the risk of going a little too far and making a movie feel like complete fan service without a substantial story to digest. Conversely, with the upcoming Lionsgate release, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, there's a much different risk due to the film's ambiguity since it is so far removed from its known fan-favorite faces.

As the new installment approaches, one of the producers attached to the upcoming film explains why this could be a benefit and how it keeps the franchise from falling into a stale pattern.

What Separates The Hunger Games Prequel from the Rest?

While speaking to Polygon about the upcoming film and how it differs from a standard sequel or franchise film, producer Nina Jacobson explains, "You could have gone with a fan favorite [character] – 'Let's do Haymitch's story! Or do Finnick's games! – but that would be doing it to do it. If [Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins] had a story in this world with something she wanted to talk about, something to explore, then great. But if not, better to leave a franchise as something people feel fondly about rather than crank out a sequel for the sake of a sequel." As for the future of the franchise and the possibility of more Hunger Games stories? Jacobson admits, "Do I think she will write more books in the world? I do, and I hope she will. Do I have any idea what they'll be? Not really!"

The film's official plot description 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 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. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake."

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes will be released in theaters on November 17, 2023, courtesy of Lionsgate Films.

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