The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes introduced some of the franchise’s most compelling characters yet, and a new behind-the-scenes featurette sheds light on Peter Dinklage’s Casca Highbottom. Set 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games, the prequel film details the invention of the titular games and tells the story of the rise of future Panem leader Coriolanus Snow. The movie adapts the book of the same name by Suzanne Collins which was released in 2020.
Screen Rant presents an exclusive look at a bonus feature detailing some of the story points and characters behind The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ great reviews. It touches on the heart of the story and explores the journey of Peter Dinklage’s Casca Highbottom and his rivalry with Coriolanus Snow. Take a look at the clip below:
Peter Dinklage’s Role In The Hunger Games Prequel Recalls His Game Of Thrones Days
Although Peter Dinklage’s best roles are very different from one another, showcasing the actor’s wide range, the above clip suggests one of a few ways in which Casca Highbottom is similar to Dinklage’s best-known character, Tyrion Lannister. The clip details that although Highbottom initially presents as a villain, his character’s arc reframes him as a more layered and sympathetic figure. The perception of Tyrion shifts in the same way through the exploration of his complicated family dynamic, which often sees him at cross purposes with major antagonists like Cersei and Tywin Lannister.
Arguably, Tyrion is Game of Thrones’ smartest character, which is another trait that brings him closer to Highbottom. Highbottom’s creation of the Hunger Games was essentially an accident, as the character found himself engrossed in a mental exercise and through his brilliance invented something awful. Tyrion Lannister’s brilliance was on display several times throughout Game of Thrones, especially with moments like the Battle of Blackwater, where his strategic thinking swung the battle in his favor.
Of all Tyrion Lannister’s character-defining quotes, “I drink and I know things” is without a doubt the best-known. It’s another similarity, then, that Highbottom’s creation of the Hunger Games took place during one of the character’s habitual drunken nights. It appears both Tyrion Lannister and Casca Highbottom turn to drinking in part to quiet overactive minds and cope with their place in society. With The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes available now for home viewing, it’s easier than ever to spend more time with Dinklage’s best charaters.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel movie set 64 years before the events of the original movie with Katniss Everdeen. The film centers on a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and shows his rise to power as the leader of Panem. Taking place during the 10th Hunger Games, Snow is tasked with mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the tribute from District 12.
- Release Date
- November 17, 2023
- Director
- Francis Lawrence
- Cast
- Tom Blyth , Rachel Zegler , Hunter Schafer , Jason Schwartzman , Peter Dinklage , Josh Andrés , Josh Andrés Rivera , Viola Davis
- Runtime
- 157 Minutes
- Writers
- Michael Lesslie , Michael Arndt , Suzanne Collins
- Studio(s)
- Color Force , Lionsgate
- Distributor(s)
- Lionsgate
- Sequel(s)
- The Hunger Games , The Hunger Games: Catching Fire , The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 , The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
- Franchise(s)
- The Hunger Games
