Highlights
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to the original trilogy, providing fans a new perspective on the character of Coriolanus Snow.
- The story is set during the tenth annual Hunger Games and explores the impact of the Panem civil war on the characters and the creation of key elements like jabberjays.
- While The Hunger Games are mentioned in the title and play a role in the plot, only a third of the book is set during the actual games, with a focus on other story elements and the district of District 12.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy, and there are quite a few differences between the two, especially when it comes to the importance of the lore and the history of Panem. If they haven't read the books, there are some crucial details that fans should be aware of before watching the movie.
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This article will list some of the most relevant details about the history behind The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes so that fans can contextualize themselves before watching it.
This article contains light spoilers for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes .
Coriolanus Snow
Main Character
Coriolanus Snow is the main character in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. This character was an important part of the original trilogy, and those who watched it will know him as a cold-hearted villain who rules over Panem and tries his very best to take down Katniss Everdeen.
Since Snow is 64 years younger than in The Hunger Games, fans get to see another side to this man - before he becomes the threatening tyrant they always knew.
The War
Panem Civil War
The Panem civil war is mentioned quite a lot throughout the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Since the story is focused mostly on Coriolanus Snow and everything that goes on inside his mind, it's crucial that fans understand how the war destroyed the lives of many of the inhabitants of Panem.
The civil war between the districts' rebels and the Capitol left a path of destruction in its wake. This war and its aftermath resulted in several major events that are relevant to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes's plot, such as the death of Coriolanus's father, the existence of The Hunger Games, and the creation of jabberjays. This major historical event left deep emotional scars on several characters in the story, but most importantly, it molded Snow and his way of thinking.
Setting
Decades Prior To The First Hunger Games Book & Movie
The Hunger Games sequel takes place 64 years before the first movie in the trilogy. The events in this story will start on the morning of the Reaping for The Hunger Games, much like the original book. However, this time around, fans will be able to experience it from a different point of view: the same as the Gamemakers and the spectators in the Capitol.
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In this past reality, Capitol folk don't seem to enjoy the game as much because it lacks incentives to get them to watch it and accompany every update on the Tributes.
Tenth Annual Hunger Games
Important Event
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place during the tenth annual Hunger Games. As most fans know, the original trilogy takes place much further in the future. Katniss entered the arena for the 74th and the 75th Hunger Games.
The tenth Hunger Games were quite important, as it was the first time that the Capitol's spectators of the games got to see many of the gimmicks that will still be used in the next 65 years. When The Hunger Games first started, there was no such thing as bets and sponsors, and it was a turnaround that significantly increased their popularity.
It was during this time that the Gamemakers and the Academy students in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes implemented some of the most important changes that remained until the very last Hunger Games.
What to Expect
Beyond The Hunger Games
Even though The Hunger Games are mentioned in the title of the movie and they're what lead to many of the major plot points in this story, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes isn't necessarily about The Hunger Games themselves.
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Regardless, the games are still quite relevant. However, those excited to watch The Hunger Games sequel should know that only a third of the book is set during The Hunger Games, and even during this time, there is a lot of focus on other story elements.
District 12
A Main Location
Some fans may be familiar with District 12, as it's where Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Gale Hawthorne, and Haymitch Abernathy resided. This district makes another appearance this time around, as it's one of the main locations in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
District 12 is one of the poorest districts in Panem, and it consists mostly of coal miners. While there are districts with citizens who were purposely trained to enter and win The Hunger Games, this is most definitely not the reality in District 12. In Catching Fire, many of the districts had several victors for the Quarter Quell, while District 12 only had three: Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is scheduled to hit theaters on November 17, 2023.