The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes screenwriter Michael Lesslie thoughtfully responds to the theory that Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) and Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) are related. Based on the book by Suzanne Collins and co-written by Lesslie, the prequel film follows the relationship between a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and District 12 tribute Lucy Gray during the 10th Hunger Games. Because of the many similarities that Lucy Gray and Katniss share, it has been theorized that the two Hunger Games protagonists are related.
In an interview with The Wrap, Lesslie responded to the theory that Lucy Gray is related to Katniss Everdeen. Asked if Katniss descended from the Covey, the nomadic band that Lucy Gray is a part of, the Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes screenwriter says there isn’t a “direct lineage” between the two characters, though he does think that “philosophically, Lucy Gray is Katniss’ progenitor.” Read his full response below:
Nothing I say has any authority. Suzanne is so closely guarded. I think Lucy Gray is some sort of progenitor of kindness and I don’t think she’s her grandma or direct lineage or anything. The Covey aren’t blood-related either they’re like a family. So I think she could be a member of the committee. I think Lucy Gray maybe set out from home and makes it out of the sort of borders of the districts maybe goes to District 30. Maybe there are people she meets and inspires there who are people who saw these games and were inspired by her music, and who then become the kind of genesis of Katniss. Philosophically, I think Lucy Gray is Katniss’ progenitor, but I also think for me, there’s anyone who might be like Maude Ivory or someone who becomes Katniss or someone who we’ve never met but who is in the place that Lucy Greg goes.
Are Lucy Gray & Katniss Everdeen Related In The Hunger Games?
There are a striking number of similarities between Lucy Gray and Katniss Everdeen, including that they are both victors of the Hunger Games who hail from District 12 and have a connection to Coriolanus Snow. This has led to attempts to link the two characters through a familial relation, a theory that co-writer Michael Lesslie and others have thoughtfully responded to. However, the prequel book by Suzanne Collins and the film adaptation directed by Francis Lawrence neither confirm nor debunk this theory and continue to inspire speculation about a possible relation between the two characters.
“I’m Not Made Of Sugar”: Lucy Gray’s Final Line Reveals Her Main Katniss Difference (& Sets Up A Return)
Lucy Gray’s last line in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes reveals how she greatly differs from Katniss, and it also sets up a potential return.
Since the theory hasn’t been explicitly debunked, there is a possibility that Lucy Gray and Katniss are related. The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes ending also leaves Lucy Gray’s fate ambiguous, meaning it’s possible that she survived and continued her lineage. Since Lucy Gray never knew her father, it’s also possible that she had siblings who continued the family line. Though director Francis Lawrence says it won’t happen unless the story comes from Suzanne Collins herself, a sequel to The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes could continue exploring whether Lucy Gray and Katniss are related.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
- Release Date:
- 2023-11-17
- Director:
- Francis Lawrence
- Cast:
- Rachel Zegler, Josh Andrés Rivera, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Tom Blyth
- Rating:
- Not Yet Rated
- Main Genre:
- Action
- Genres:
- Action, Adventure, Drama
- Writers:
- Michael Arndt, Michael Lesslie
- Summary:
- Based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to the original Hunger Games franchise set sixty-four years before the events of the first film/book. The story follows Coriolanus Snow before his rise to power as the cold and calculating President Snow. To escape his impoverished life and secure the tuition he needs to attend the University, Snow will partner with a tribute he is assigned to mentor and help her succeed to benefit the both of them.
- Story By:
- Suzanne Collins
- Characters By:
- Suzanne Collins
- Sequel:
- The Hunger Games
- Cinematographer:
- Jo Willems
- Producer:
- Nina Jacobson, Francis Lawrence, Brad Simpson
- Production Company:
- Color Force, Good Universe, Lionsgate
- Main Characters :
- Lucy Gray Baird, Tigris Snow, Lucretius ‘Lucky’ Flickerman, Sejanus Plinth, Casca Highbottom, Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Coriolanus Snow
- Sfx Supervisor:
- Claudius Rauch
- Distributor :
- Lionsgate
- Assistant Director :
- Christopher Surgent
