“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” makes its world premiere as the team is optimistic about further sequels

from Lionsgate The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes made its world premiere at London’s BFI Imax tonight, red carpeting with director Francis Lawrence and stars Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andres Rivera and more.

The return to the Suzanne Collins franchise, based on her prequel novel, is the first major non-festival world premiere featuring actors in the media since the SAG-AFTRA strike began in July. Although the guild and studios did not reach a tentative agreement to end the strike last night, the film has already reached an interim agreement with Lionsgate, a non-AMPTP company.

Regardless, the team was happy with the end of the battle. Producer Nina Jacobson said she was among those who “shouted for joy” that the strike was over after learning about it one jet-lagged night:

Blyth, who plays the young Coriolanus Snow, shared his thoughts with us about a “character that people think they already know and who they already absolutely hate, but who they hate when they love and love to hate. He also said that after the strike ends, “there are some really fun jobs in the pipeline…It’s going to be pretty busy”; and told us more songbirds and snakes“He shared some horror stories about attending the same acting school” with fellow actress and Julliard graduate Viola Davis, “and some toolkit tricks.”

Francis Lawrence credited Collins with creating a story that was “very special”. Hunger games History” and which made it possible to “attract new talent … and surround them with experienced actors”.

Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Joe Drake talked about future sequels songbirds and snakesduring the red carpet, said, “It makes us all hungry for more… It’s up to Suzanne, we’ll all figure it out together.” He later introduced the film from the cinema, saying: “There are films that define and mean everything to one Studio, and for ten years we have had the privilege of directing this film and beyond.” Mockingjay Par TwOh, we waited a bit with great anticipation and great hope that at some point Suzanne Collins would want to visit Panem again, which she did… When we heard her write Ballad of songbirds and snakess, we knew we were back … and we were very excited to visit this world that is so loved and so missed by so many … it was worth the wait.”

The story takes place 64 years before Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen and the events of the original books and films. Before he can become the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Blyth) is the last hope for his dwindling generation, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, young Snow is dismayed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler), the tribute girl from impoverished District 12. But after Lucy monopolizes all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the harvest During the ceremony, Snow believes he can change the odds in his favor. Combining their instinct for self-expression with new political insights, Snow and Lucy’s race against time for survival will finally reveal who is a songbird and who is a snake.

The prequel to the $3 billion worldwide series opens in theaters on November 15 and domestic theaters on November 17. Authors are Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. Lawrence is producing alongside Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson. Collins, Tim Palen and Jim Miller are executive producers.