Sophia Michaels
SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
In recent weeks, moviegoers have finally been able to see the big-screen adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins’ prequel to her Hunger Games series. While the movie revealed how Coriolanus Snow went from hero to baddie, there were still some questions left unanswered, with the biggest being the fate of Lucy Gray Baird. Tom Blyth, who played young President Snow, is now sharing his thoughts on whether or not we should expect a follow-up movie.
The ending of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sees Lucy Gray abandoning Snow when she suspects he played a part in the executions of Sejanus as well as the other rebels. We don’t know if Gray made a life of her own somewhere or if she was somehow killed afterwards. On that note, The Observer asked leading man Tom Blyth if there would be a sequel in order to continue the story of young Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray. Here’s what he had to say:
From all of us, I think there’s hope. I think we all feel this more to tell from these characters’ perspectives. A lot of people want to see whether Lucy Gray and Coryo ever manage to meet each other again and what happens there. Because obviously—no spoilers—what happens in the woods is a big cliffhanger. And between Tigris and Coryo [there is] this really loving relationship. I think people who have seen it are really rooting for those cousins to hold on to each other because it’s them against the world. So I think we all want to see those relationships play out further.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes Review: The Most Brutal Hunger Games Movie Yet, But It Can’t Escape Some Textbook Prequel Traps
I agree with Tom Blyth that there’s more story to tell. Even though it ends with Snow on the path towards being the tyrannical leader we know he’ll become, it’d be nice to fill in a few more blanks regarding his characterization. Yes, it’s clear that when we hear an elderly Snow say “It’s the things we love the most that destroys us,” we know who he’s talking about now. But there are still many loose ends, especially when it comes to Lucy Gray. Did Snow kill her that time in the woods or did she escape? Did The Capitol end up executing her after winning the games?
Or maybe Lucy did eventually make a life for herself. With footage of her time in the games erased, this would leave her unconnected to them. Also, she could possibly be related to Katniss Everdeen, who taught her father those folk songs like “The Hanging Tree.” (Interestingly, director Francis Lawrence does believe Lucy Gray’s cousin, Maude Ivory, could be related to Katniss.)
Another question left unanswered is in regard to what exactly happened with Coriolanus and Tigris. The Hunger Games prequel revealed President Snow is related to Tigris, as they were cousins who had been there for each other as kids during the First Rebellion. The 2023 new movie release ends with Tigris sadly saying to Coriolanus, as he makes his way to the Capitol, “You look just like your father.” Fans know that eventually, Tigris works as a stylist in the Games, sporting feline fashions and is banished by Snow for “not being pretty enough.” I’m curious to know exactly how the riff between them formed.
The prequel film may have been centered on a character everyone hates, but it was important to tell this story on screen so fans of the dystopian series know how the eventual President Snow became determined to make these games deadlier each year. With so much left on the table, Tom Blyth explained what it would take for a sequel to happen:
That being said, what I really respect about Francis Lawrence and [producer] Nina Jacobson and Lionsgate is that they don’t just want to keep churning out films for the sake of it. They really do respect the literature and the writing of Suzanne Collins, the creator. If they’re going to make a film it’s going to come from her. It’s going to come from the impetus of her asking another big sociological question and then putting it down on paper. They’re not just trying to build a franchise for the sake of a franchise. Which I, as a filmmaker and creator, really respect. It’s the thing that made me less fearful going into it, like ‘Yes, I’m making this big thing that has its own wheels and its own machine, but it’s also real filmmaking that comes from the text.’
The British star does have a point. Suzanne Collins plainly made her prequel to get insight into the series’ main antagonist. If she were to write another book centered on Panem, I’m sure Francis Lawrence would get the ball rolling on it. If a follow-up movie were to happen, I’m sure the team would also be sure to stick as closely to Collins’ source material as possible as was done this time around. (Also, there are many characters from Hunger Games that are worthy of their own movies.)
But according to Tom Blyth, a sequel to The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes would only work if Suzanne Collins were to expand her story. Only time will tell if she decides to do that, and I’m sure there are plenty of fans who would love to return to this universe again. In the meantime, you can still see the movie, which is playing in theaters now.
