The Hunger Games franchise continues with its first prequel, and there are various ways to watch The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. The movie takes place over 60 years before the events of the original four Hunger Games movies following Katniss Everdeen, shifting the focus to a young Coriolanus Snow. Played by Tom Blyth after Donald Sutherland previously portrayed the President of Panem, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes shows Snow’s younger days during the 10th Hunger Games when he becomes the mentor to District 12’s female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler).
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ release comes eight years after audiences last had the opportunity to see a movie in the franchise. Still, Lionsgate wasted little time turning Suzanne Collins’ prequel book into a movie, with it coming to theaters just three years after the novel was released. Anticipation for the Hunger Games prequel movie has been high through it all, especially considering the nature of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ cast and what it could mean for the franchise’s future. Depending on how eager viewers are to see the movie, there are different options to watch the Hunger Games movie.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Releases In Theaters November 17, 2023
Lionsgate gave The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes an exclusive theatrical release, which begins on November 17, 2023. The November release window is similar to when the studio decided to release the last three Hunger Games movies. Audiences have the capacity to see The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in IMAX thanks to the theatrical release, giving viewers a chance to see the movie in an even bigger format than normal. This is the earliest opportunity to see the movie and one that is recommended for anyone wanting to see it right away and avoid possible spoilers.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Will Likely Release On Streaming In May 2024
Audiences might not be able to watch The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes on streaming until May 2024. Lionsgate’s movies traditionally take six months to move to streaming, which was the cast with John Wick: Chapter 4 releasing on Starz. A similarly long wait will mean viewers wanting to stream The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will have to wait until 2024. It is confirmed (via Collider) that the movie will stream on Peacock, not Starz, thanks to a deal Lionsgate signed with Universal in 2022 that goes into effect then.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Will Likely Release On Digitial In January 2024
The earliest opportunity to watch The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes at home will be with the movie’s digital release. Lionsgate has not confirmed when this will occur, but the studio’s history and trends indicate that January 2024 is a likely landing spot. This will give the movie a two-month exclusive theatrical window before it becomes available to rent or buy digitally on most major platforms. This is the best option for anyone willing to skip The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ theatrical release and wait for the convenience of at-home viewings.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
- Release Date:
- 2023-11-17
- Director:
- Francis Lawrence
- Cast:
- Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage, Josh Andrés, Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis
- Rating:
- PG-13
- Runtime:
- 157 Minutes
- Genres:
- Action, Adventure, Drama
- 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
