The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes actor Rachel Zegler bids a heartfelt farewell to the film and her character Lucy Gray Baird. Originally introduced in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes novel by Suzanne Collins, Lucy Gray is a member of the Covey and is the female District 12 tribute during the tenth Hunger Games. Zegler’s talent as a singer and as an actor brought the musically gifted and complex Lucy Gray to life in the film adaptation, for which Zegler won Action Movie Star of the Year at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards.
Zegler is now saying an emotional goodbye to Lucy Gray and to The Ballad of Songbirds of Snakes.
This message follows her People’s Choice Awards win, along with The Hunger Games prequel winning Action Movie of the Year, both receiving more votes than many popular action stars and their respective films, including Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One) and Keanu Reeves (John Wick: Chapter 4). Despite these impressive wins, with no further source material following Lucy Gray and her story, it is likely the first and last time that Zegler will play the character.
What’s Next For Rachel Zegler?
Zegler’s next high-profile project is Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White, with Zegler playing the eponymous princess, and Wonder Woman‘s Gal Gadot playing the Evil Queen. Directed by Marc Webb and with a screenplay written by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson, Snow White is slated to be released in theaters in 2025, and is currently in post-production. While Zegler has been embraced on Twitter for her portrayal of Lucy Gray, she has faced racist backlash on social media for being cast as Snow White, simply because she is of Colombian descent.
Upcoming Rachel Zegler Movies After The Hunger Games
With Rachel Zegler set to star in The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the actress has several other movies lined up for the future.
Beyond Snow White, Zegler will be lending her vocal talents to the upcoming animated musical fantasy film Spellbound. Set in a magical world known as Lumbria, Zegler plays Princess Ellian, who must break the spell that split her kingdom in two. Spellbound has a star-studded cast that also includes Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, and Nathan Lane. The music is composed by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken. The Skydance Animation film is scheduled to be released on Netflix later in 2024.
Zegler’s last confirmed project is Y2K, a disaster comedy film following Y2K actually happening as two high school students crash a party in 1999. It will debut at the South by Southwest festival on March 9, 2024. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes‘ promotion, theatrical run, and awards may be over, but Zegler’s already impressive career is only getting started.
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.
- Director
- Francis Lawrence
- Release Date
- November 17, 2023
- Studio(s)
- Color Force , Lionsgate
- Distributor(s)
- Lionsgate
- Writers
- Michael Lesslie , Michael Arndt , Suzanne Collins
- Cast
- Tom Blyth , Rachel Zegler , Hunter Schafer , Jason Schwartzman , Peter Dinklage , Josh Andrés , Josh Andrés Rivera , Viola Davis
- Runtime
- 157 Minutes
- Franchise(s)
- The Hunger Games
- Sequel(s)
- The Hunger Games , The Hunger Games: Catching Fire , The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 , The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
