Year of Ballad! A Guide to Media Articles and News

Production, Filming, and Casting for Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Release Date: Nov. 17, 2023)

The following select collection of online sources provides a go-to place for “all things Ballad,” including production, filming locations, casting, and related information from a variety of news, media, and fan sites. This collection was screened and recommended by students within our First-Year Seminar Class, titled Unpacking the Hunger Games at Butler University, Indianapolis. We hope you find these sources enlightening about the highly anticipated feature film! (More will be added as available.)

Official Trailers and Reveals

• Official Trailer! (YouTube), released April 27, 2023
• Official Teaser Trailer (YouTube)
• Lionsgate Prequel Reveal (YouTube)
• Lionsgate Publicity Page, Including Reveal (Lionsgate)

Overviews and Collections

• IMDb Movie Information Page. Scroll down for primary cast members, links to additional cast information and backgrounds, production information, and much more.
• The Hunger Games Wiki: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (film). Includes a wide range of information, organized through its Table of Contents, including synopsis, plot, development, cast, gallery, and more.
• Dynatic Films: Video Overview of the Prequel Story and Film (YouTube, 9 min). A concise and informed introduction to the Ballad film storyline, cast members, and what to expect. Includes an overview of the original Hunger Games trilogy at the beginning.
• Panem Propaganda: The Ballad Prequel. An impressive collection of articles, photo galleries, and discussions focused on the filming and production of the Ballad in Europe. See the “Latest News” articles on the left for numerous specialized topics.

ON SET: Filming Locations and Images

• A Behind-The-Scenes Tour of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Set (YouTube, Rachel Zegler TikTok video)
• Behind-The-Scenes Set Photos of the Hunger Games Prequel (Panem Propaganda, Oct 10, 2022)
• Propaganda Posters, The Hanging Tree, Peacekeeper Vehicles, Extras, and More! Inside The Hunger Games [Prequel] Set in Germany and Poland (Panem Propaganda, Sept 2, 2022)
• The Hunger Games [Prequel] First-look Photos Show Child Actors Running Past Dead Bodies on a Battlefield in Berlin (Daily Mail, Oct 25, 2022)
• Hunger Games: Extras Wanted for the Prequel Shoot (News in Germany, May 2022)

News Releases and Articles

(Most recent at the top)

• Rachel Zegler Wraps Filming on Hunger Games Prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Collider, Nov 5, 2022)
• Everything We Know So Far about Hunger Games Prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Entertainment, Oct 23, 2022)
• The Hunger Games Prequel Cast: Every Character Cast, So Far (Nerdist, Sept 16, 2022)
• Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Rounds Out Cast with Fionnula Flanagan, 10 Others (Deadline, Sept 16, 2022)
• Who’s Who in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Movie Cast (The Hollywood Reporter, Sept 3, 2022)
• The Hunger Games:The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Exclusive First Look (Vanity Fair, Aug 16, 2022)
• What We Know about the Upcoming Hunger Games Prequel Movie (Insider, Aug 16, 2022)
• West Side Story breakout Rachel Zegler to star in Hunger Games prequel. (Entertainment, May 31, 2022)

Film Analysis and Speculation

• Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Movie Will Have to Change the Book (Sorry) (ScreenRant, Aug 7, 2022)
• Oh, The Hunger Games Prequel’s First Look is Not A Good Start (ScreenRant, Aug 17, 2022)

Recent Published Books Interpreting The Ballad:

A Place Called District 12: Appalachian Geography and Music in the Hunger Games (by Thomas Paradis, McFarland & Co., 2022)

Songbirds, Snakes & Sacrifice: Collins’ Prequel References and Philosophies Explained (by Valerie E. Frankel, LitCrit Press, 2020)