The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes director Francis Lawrence has revealed how Rachel Zegler’s District 12 tribute is somewhat similar to Katniss Everdeen from the original series. Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird is the female tribute from District 12 in the prequel film’s 10th annual Hunger Games. She forms a connection with a young Coriolanus Snow, who becomes her mentor during the Games.
Speaking with Collider, Lawrence explained how the upcoming Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will reveal similarities between Lucy and Katniss despite how different the pair are. The director posited how Lucy’s search for a friend in the film parallels Katniss’ hunt for Peeta in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Check out what Lawrence had to say below:
This is actually sort of similar to Catching Fire — the draw of Rachel [Zegler’s] character trying to find her friend. If you remember from Catching Fire, it’s the same with Katniss, that Katniss is trying to find Peeta, and she doesn’t know where he is. So, sort of two parallel similarities there.
How Similar Lucy & Katniss Really Are
Despite both being the female District 12 tributes of their respective Hunger Games, Lucy and Katniss are very different characters. While the main heroine of the franchise is more of an introverted, focused survivor during her Games, her past counterpart has been teased as a performative, outgoing entertainer. This plays heavily into the plot of the prequel, which involves Lucy’s talent for singing songs like “The Hanging Tree.”
Despite these differences, though, both characters are trying to survive in dire scenarios where the odds don’t appear to be in their favor. They are also trying to find someone they care about, a scenario that, despite being decades apart in the universe, are still reflective of one another’s goals. The two survivors may have their differences, but they are still connected through their shared experiences.
Even so, it seems the rest of the cast of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes won’t be exact parallels to classic characters like Peeta and Haymitch from the original series. This makes the rest of the film unpredictable, as some generally similar attributes shared across movies won’t equate to the same story being told. With Lucy’s character yet to be fully explored, it remains to be seen how her similarities and differences to Katniss will be reflected in the upcoming prequel.
Key Release Dates
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Release Date:2023-11-17
