It's been a while since a film from the Hunger Games franchise has graced our screens. A prequel project was first announced back in April 2020, but due to the pandemic, its status was left up in the air, leaving many fans worried that the film might be nixed entirely.
Now, after several months of silence, Lionsgate has finally provided a much-needed update, and it's a good one — if all things go according to plan, the studio will be back on track to bring the highly-anticipated adaptation to life. Joe Drake, the chairman of Lionsgate, recently announced that the Hunger Games prequel will start production in the first half of 2022 and aim for a late 2023 or early 2024 release.
Should the pandemic still be ongoing by that time, Drake says the film would probably still be theatrically released, with the hope that audiences will make a mass return to the theatres before then. The studio will likely take notes from its Borderlands film, which is also expected to be released in theatres exclusively. The film will revolve around "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," which is the latest Hunger Games book by Suzanne Collins. The story will follow an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow and his rise to power, years before he became the President of Panem.
According to the film's synopsis, Snow will be assigned as a mentor for the female tribute from District 12 during the tenth annual Hunger Games. With his family's name in shaky standing with the Capitol, Snow must ensure the success of his tribute in order to bring the House of Snow back to its former glory, even if it means bending the rules to his favor. If the book is any indication, fans could also expect to see new characters like Casca Highbottom (the dean of the "Academy"), Sejanus Plinth (the mentor for the male tribute from District 2), Clemensia Dovecote (the mentor for the male tribute for District 11), and Tigris (Snow's cousin from childhood).
Francis Lawrence, the director of the previous Hunger Games films, will return to the franchise, along with producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson. Additionally, Michael Arndt, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter for Little Miss Sunshine, will be working on adapting the screenplay. At this moment, no casting announcements have been made, and it is still unclear whether alumni such as Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark), Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne), and Donald Sutherland (older President Snow) will end up making an appearance in the film.
The Hunger Games prequel is now in its pre-production stages and filming will commence sometime in early 2022.
Source: Deadline