A horrific battle to the death is unraveled with a returning villain’s origin in this prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” based on the original novel written by American author Suzanne Collins. 

The movie prequel of the Hunger Games series was released on Nov. 17, after three years of excitement and hope for this new addition being set 64 years before the initial release. 

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” conveys the perspective of eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow, later known to be the tyrannical president of Panem, during the tenth annual Hunger Games. The origin story of the competition along twelve districts is featured, along with the backstory of the power-hungry villain Snow. 

The Hunger Games book series takes place in Panem, a nation located in North America that is divided into twelve districts ruled by the Capitol. Each district is expected to sacrifice one boy and one girl to battle as a punishment. Tributes are placed in an arena to fight to the death until there is one remaining, with the winner receiving food and riches for themself and their impoverished family as a reward. 

It is said in the first novel that, 74 years before, citizens had formed a rebellion against the Capitol.As a result, the Hunger Games became their punishment. The brutal competition was established for entertainment purposes for the Capitol, its purpose being to remind its citizens of the power and control they possess to prevent a war.

In “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” Eighteen-year-old Snow mentors District Twelve tribute Lucy Gray Baird to prepare for the tenth annual Hunger Games. The story follows the transition of an ordinary man to a villainous ruler of Panem. The war that killed Snow’s parents and destroyed his fortune has been replaced with the Hunger Games to reduce the chances of the districts rebelling once again. 

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” movie focuses on the philosophy rather than the allegory of The Hunger Games series. Concerning the storyline that follows Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the previous books and movies, this upcoming movie shows the impacts the characters’ choices have made on the characters decades later. This includes the Capitol sacrificing the people of Panem every year for the Hunger Games or removing basic needs. 

In an interview with David Levithan, Collins expanded her thoughts on the prequel.

“In the first chapter of the Hunger Games, I make reference to a fourth District 12 victor.” Collins said. “Everdeen doesn’t seem to know anything about the person worth mentioning. While her story isn’t well-known, Lucy Gray lives on in a significant way through her music.”

Collins explains that Gray sings to Snow in “The Ballad of Songbirds of Snakes,” similar to Everdeen singing to Rue in the Hunger Games book, showing that there is a connection between the prequel and the original storyline. 

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” movie displays the origins of the Hunger Games and the division between the rich and poor following the story in Panem.