The Hunger Games became a pop culture phenomenon in the 2010s, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will reignite the love for the franchise — and hopefully spur more prequel movies as a result. Based on Suzanne Collins’ book series of the same name, The Hunger Games introduced viewers to a corrupt world where the wealthiest and most powerful members of society forced children to participate in a televised fight to the death. The sequels Catching Fire, Mockingjay – Part 1, and Mockingjay – Part 2 elaborated on this fictional dystopia further, providing plenty of world-building to inspire prequels and spinoffs.
It took years for Collins to capitalize on such opportunities, but the author released The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in 2020. The novel followed Hunger Games villain President Snow, played by Donald Sutherland in the films. It shed light on how he became the man who antagonized Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), and it gave his previously one-note villain more layers. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes also showed what the earlier renditions of the Hunger Games were like, expanding on the world from Collins’ original trilogy. That’s something more prequels could do, even without source material to draw from.
8 Haymitch & The 50th Hunger Games
After Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) was probably the most recognizable character from the original Hunger Games movies, and his backstory could make an interesting prequel. Haymitch became Katniss and Peeta’s mentor during the 74th Hunger Games, as he was the only remaining survivor from District 12. He didn’t take the job seriously at first, assuming that Katniss and Peeta would perish in the Games. It was clear from the beginning that Haymitch struggled with his own demons, a fact highlighted by his excessive drinking.
That’s precisely why a Hunger Games prequel centered on Haymitch could prove compelling. Although Catching Fire shed light on how Haymitch won the 50th Hunger Games, it would be interesting to watch it play out in real time. Additionally, Haymitch’s perspective opens the door for discussions about trauma and how it manifests after a painful event. As Haymitch was a fan-favorite character from the original Hunger Games movies, it’d be easy to get audiences on board for his story, even if the 50th Hunger Games weren’t anything special outside his involvement.
7 The Fall Of District 13
There were only 12 districts when the Hunger Games movies opened, but District 13 was used as a cautionary tale. District 13 had the nerve to rebel against the Capitol, resulting in its destruction. However, hints that the survivors had gone underground were present early in The Hunger Games series. The ending of Catching Fire confirmed those rumors were true. District 13 led the charge against the Capitol in the Mockingjay movies, using Katniss as a symbol for its rebellion. President Coin (Julianne Moore) became a new leader and another threat, raising questions about power and its consequences.
Chronicling the initial fall of District 13 — and revealing how the survivors became the rebels introduced in Catching Fire and Mockingjay — would be an interesting way of exploring Hunger Games history without returning to the actual Games. A prequel movie centered on District 13 could show how the group stayed alive, what went into orchestrating Katniss’ extraction in Catching Fire, and how Coin became a prominent figure in the rebellion. It could also tackle the franchise’s themes of power, raising questions about what it really takes to topple a tyrannical government.
6 Finnick & The 65th Hunger Games
Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) was one of the most compelling characters from the Hunger Games, and the majority of fans wouldn’t complain about seeing more of him. In fact, Finnick’s tragic death in Mockingjay – Part 2 remained a sore spot for years after the film’s release. It was made worse by the fact that he’d just married the love of his life, Annie (Stef Dawson), who was already traumatized by her own participation in the Games.
A Hunger Games prequel focused on Finnick could show how the fan-favorite character fared in the 65th Hunger Games, as well as how he fell in love with Annie. Such a prequel could be equal parts action film and love story, giving it a lot in common with the original Hunger Games. I would be interesting to see Finnick and Annie before the Games altered their relationship, as the films didn’t dig too deeply into why these two loved each other so much.
5 Mags & The 11th Hunger Games
Mags (Lynn Cohen) volunteered to take Annie’s place in Catching Fire‘s Quarter Quell, and she later sacrificed herself to save Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick. The elder woman proved herself a true hero in the Hunger Games sequel, and she’d certainly make a sympathetic protagonist in her own movie. In fact, Mags’ behavior in Catching Fire raised questions about how she survived her own Games. It’s hard to imagine someone as selfless and considerate as Mags winning the Capitol’s fight to the death. However, her story could highlight the fact that even the kindest people often do what they must to survive.
4 Cinna’s Hunger Games Backstory
Katniss’ experience in the Hunger Games movies proved that not everyone in the Capitol was evil, and Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) was probably the best example of this. Cinna was Katniss’ mentor and stylist in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, and he helped her make a statement against the Capitol on more than one occasion. This ultimately got him killed, and the movies never explained why Cinna was so committed to the districts’ cause. As someone who lived in the Capitol, he could have turned a blind eye to the horrible treatment of people like Katniss and Peeta. Instead, he chose to help them.
Since Cinna’s backstory wasn’t explored in The Hunger Games, it could easily become the plot of a prequel movie. It’s clear Cinna had negative feelings about the Capitol, and a project centered on him could dig into why.
3 The Hunger Games From Gale’s Perspective
It’s hard to say how well it would work, but the Hunger Games franchise could take a leaf out of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s book and release a movie from Gale’s perspective. Meyer did this with Twilight, retelling the original story from Edward’s point of view. A film following Gale could be partially a prequel and partially a retelling of the original Hunger Games movies. While this might seem repetitive, much of District 13’s rebellion and Gale’s character growth occurred off-screen. The original series focused primarily on Katniss and Peeta, so it would be fascinating to see what was happening behind the scenes while they were in the arena.
2 The Very First Hunger Games
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes showcased how different Lucy Gray Baird’s (Rachel Zegler) 10th Games were from Katniss and Peeta’s 74th Games. The book made it clear that the competition evolved over time, going from a poorly conceptualized event to a highly publicized spectacle. And the 10th Games lacking the advancement of future iterations raises questions about what the very first Hunger Games were like. A Hunger Games prequel centered on the first Games could offer more insight into how they began and what went into bring them to life.
It would also be interesting to see the districts’ response to the initial Hunger Games, as most of Panem was desensitized to the tournament by the time Katniss’ story opened. It’s likely people fought back against the Capitol in the beginning, which would make for a dark and compelling political plot. Additionally, a prequel covering the first Hunger Games could also dig into the war between the districts and Capitol — the event that led to the Games in the first place.
1 Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 2
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 2 doesn’t exist in book form, but that doesn’t mean that Lionsgate can’t expand upon the story from the original prequel. After all, Collins’ novel left things open-ended when it comes to what happened to Lucy Gray Baird. With Lucy’s fate ambiguous and young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) having a long way to go before becoming the leader of Panem, a sequel could bridge the gap between The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and The Hunger Games.
