The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes director Francis Lawrence has revealed how a horror-themed meme featuring Viola Davis landed her a role in the upcoming prequel. The newest installment in the franchise follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and his role as a mentor for District 12’s Lucy (Rachel Zegler) during the 10th Hunger Games. One key character in the film is gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, who is portrayed by Davis.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Lawrence revealed how a meme landed Davis a role in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. The director explained how an image that turned Davis’ character from The Help into a slasher villain made him realize her potential as a scary antagonist. Check out what Lawrence said – as well as the image that inspired Davis’ casting – below:
It was a piece of fan art, and somebody had photoshopped, I think, an image of her standing by a window. It may be a still from The Help, but she had this sort of sinister little smile and they had made mocked up a fake horror poster as if she was the villain in this. I was like, ‘Wow, you know what? She may be really good for this.’ She has this gravitas, but she could be playful and quirky and get all of that. It’d be very different for her. I don’t think we’ve seen her do this kind of thing a lot.
Everything To Expect From The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
Davis’ Gaul is one of many new characters in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes that will bring Panem’s past to life. Other key actors include Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Jason Schwartzman (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse), Fionnula Flanagan (Brotherhood), and Burn Gorman (Turn: Washington’s Spies) among others. Though it’s clear Davis’ character will be one of the more formidable presences within the film.
The movie centers around Snow’s connection with Lucy, as he tries his best to ensure she can win that year’s Hunger Games. However, the film also acts as an origin story surrounding how Snow became the antagonistic president of Panem as seen in other The Hunger Games movies. This allows the film to explore an untapped history of Panem and Snow, making for a whole new experience within the franchise.
Since The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ runtime of 157 minutes makes it the longest film in the franchise, there will be plenty of exploration surrounding Snow and Panem’s past. This also means characters like Gaul may have some time in the spotlight themselves, creating a living, breathing past for the world of The Hunger Games. With Davis and plenty of other seasoned actors portraying new characters, there’s no telling just how much will happen in the prequel film.
