Summary
AfterThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & SnakesreignitedThe Hunger Gamesfilm franchise, I’ve been thrilled at the prospect of a sequel, but recent news puts a wrench in my dreams. As the firstHunger Gamesspinoff,The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakeswas my most highly anticipated release of 2023. Released ten years afterMockingjayand five years afterThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2,it hinted that the beloved franchisecould make a full-fledged return. However, even with a $337 million box office, my hopes forThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’sequelmay be misplaced.
AfterThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakespremiered, I believedthat this film could kick off an entirely new segment ofTheHunger Gamesfranchise. Considering howThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakesends, with Lucy Gray’s disappearance and Snow’s rise to power, the sequelwould have much to explore. Coriolanus' descent into evil, his effect on the Capitol, and of course, more Hunger Games would be crucial. However, a recent update from Suzanne Collins suggests that aBallad of Songbirds and Snakessequel is off the table in favor of anotherHunger Gamesproject.
Haymitch Will Take Over Songbirds & Snakes' Spotlight
With the news ofSunrise on the Reapingbookand a movie adaptation,the chances ofThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 2happening are slim. The new book will follow a younger version ofTheHunger Games’Haymitch as he participates in the Second Quarter Quell, 24 years before Katniss' Games. The book is already set for release on July 09, 2025, while the movie adaptation premieres on August 11, 2025. With such a solid plan already in place, Idon’t see howThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 2could be snuck into the timeline.
Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Release Date, Story, Updates & Everything We Know
Suzanne Collins has announced details about the upcoming novel in the Hunger Games series, which will be titled Sunrise on the Reaping.
Unfortunately, it seems to me thatSunrise on the Reapingwill take all the attention fromThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,but it’s for a good reason. Audiences have already seen Lucy Gray and Coriolanus' story on the page and the big screen. Meanwhile, Haymitch’s story has been a decade in the making.The Hunger Gamesbooks provided many hints about Haymitch’s time as a tribute, and now, viewers will finally get to see it go down. I believe the anticipation alone will forceThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 2into the back of audiences' minds.
Viewers can guess how Coriolanus will become the villain seen inThe Hunger Games,but Lucy Gray’s story cuts off without a preamble.
Lucy Gray Has A Compelling Story Left To Tell
DespiteSunrise on the Reaping, I thinkThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 2should still happen. Viewers can guess how Coriolanus will become the villain seen inThe Hunger Games,but Lucy Gray’s story cuts off without a preamble. There are no answers aboutwhat happened to Lucy Gray, and this is a shame. Because she’s such a unique and powerful character, I think her story needs to be continued in a sequel. Lucy Gray’s fate could be unlike anythingThe Hunger Gameshas seen before, and that is whyThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakessequel must happen.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Cast
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel movie set 64 years before the events of the original movie with Katniss Everdeen. The film centers on a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and shows his rise to power as the leader of Panem. Taking place during the 10th Hunger Games, Snow is tasked with mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the tribute from District 12.
