The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Hunger Games Prequel Gets a Release Date

The story of Katniss Everdeen may be done, but Lionsgate is set to give us a prequel which will focus on a younger Coriolanus Snow—the primary antagonist of the original Hunger Games. We’ve been getting news about the prequel since last year, and now we know when it’s set to come out.

According to Variety, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set to come out on November 17, 2023. Lionsgate had showed the trailer at CinemaCon, and the teaser, which is just a shot of icy tree branches, came with the tagline, “The world will discover… who is a songbird… and who is a snake.”

While Snow may be ruthless in the original trilogy, this story will focus on his younger self who has been hired to mentor a girl from District 12. Here’s the synopsis:

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

I would say you could check out the book, but if you wanted to go to the film with a fresh perspective, I suggest you just rewatch the Hunger Games movies.

The Hunger Games spinoff The Ballad of Sonbirds and Snakes is set to hit theaters on Nov. 17.