The Hunger Games movie 2023: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes UK cinema release date, cast, and trailer

Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, based on the novel by Suzanne Collins, lands in cinemas this week. The film is set around the 10th annual Hunger Games, situating it 64 years before the events of the original film quadrilogy, released between 2012 and 2015.

The Hunger Games is one of the biggest film franchises of all time, grossing just shy of $3 billion worldwide off a combined budget of a little under $500 million. The latest film, made on a $100 million budget, will bring the franchise way beyond the $3 billion mark, and is eyeing a $50 million opening weekend, which would surpass the latest MCU release, The Marvels.

With the SAG-AFTRA strike now resolved after almost four months of action, the films stars, which includes Game of Thrones alum Peter Dinklage, and West Side Story actress Rachel Zegler, can promote the film ahead of its release, hopefully signalling a return of big box office openings.

Is there a trailer for the new Hunger Games movie?

Yes there is, and you can watch it right here:

What is The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes about?

The film is an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ 2020 Hunger Games prequel of the same name - as earlier films in the franchise followed the source material closely, we can anticipate that the prequel will also be faithful to the book.

The action in Songbirds & Snakes takes place at the 10th Hunger Games, a decade after the failed rebellion against the totalitarian Capitol by the 13 districts. As a result of the failure, the Capitol government established the Hunger Games as a punishment for the rebel districts, forcing two tributes from each district to take part in a grand televised fight to the death, with only one survivor.

In the 10th Hunger Games, 18 year old Coriolanus Snow, the future tyrannical president of Panem, mentors the District 12 tributes, Jessup and Lucy Gray. He falls in love with Lucy and risks his own reputation and even his life to help her in the games.

Who is in the cast of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes?

• Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird
• Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow
• Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul
• Peter Dinklage as Dean Casca Highbottom
• Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman
• Hunter Schafer as Tigris
• Nick Benson as Jessup
• Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth
• Dexter Sol Ansell as Young Coriolanus
• Fionnula Flanagan as Grandma'am
• Ashley Liao as Clemensia Dovecote

When is the release date of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes?

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will be released exclusively in cinemas on Friday November 17.