Hunger Games Prequel Won Over Rachel Zegler After Accidentally Casting Her Boyfriend

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes director Francis Lawrence details the challenge of getting Rachel Zegler to star in the movie, revealing that accidentally casting her boyfriend ultimately did the trick. Based on a book by Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins, the upcoming prequel movie takes place almost 70 years before the story of Katniss Everdeen. Zegler stars in the film as Lucy Gray Baird, a District 12 tribute who is paired with mentor Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blythe) during the 10th iteration of the titular games.

Now, ahead of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes release date, Lawrence reveals to EW that, despite a promising early meeting, Zegler initially passed on the role. The star’s schedule was such that she would only have three days off after filming the live-action Snow White, which involved, on top of filming, weeks of solitary COVID-19 quarantining in the UK away from her loved ones. She was evidently keen on taking a bit of a break. Read Lawrence’s recollection of Zegler’s reaction below:

“The idea of going from six months in London to go deeper into Europe — into Poland — for another six months of her life freaked her out. She went ghostly white.”

After the production inadvertently cast Josh Andrés Rivera, her boyfriend, as Sejanus Plinth, however, Zegler very quickly had a change of heart. Lawrence, though, wasn’t initially aware of the connection between the two actors, recalling:

“My assistant was like, ‘Do you know who that is?’ And I go, ‘Yeah. He was in West Side Story. She says, ‘That’s Rachel’s boyfriend.’

Who Is Lucy In The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes?

While Jennifer Lawrence’s bow-wielding hero took center stage in the four Hunger Games movies, the upcoming prequel is set to feature a very different protagonist. Instead of being a skilled fighter like Katniss, Lucy is a gifted singer and songwriter. Before being selected for the 10th Hunger Games, singing and musical performances is how Lucy made her living in District 12.

Prior to her time in District 12, Lucy was a member of a nomadic group called the Covey. While Lucy may not be a proficient fighter, she is no stranger to loss and to the horrors of the Capitol, with her immediate family having been killed by Peacekeepers. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will chart her journey as the District 12 tribute, chronicling the companionship she shares with Snow throughout her journey to the Capitol and as the games get underway.

Much like how Lawrence anchored the Hunger Games movies with her lead performance as Katniss, Zegler will be key to The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The upcoming story, however, is seemingly set to also explore Snow before his eventual rise to power, perhaps making the prequel more of a two-hander than its predecessors. It remains to be seen how Zegler’s lead performance will be received by audiences, but the director evidently felt early on that she was the best actor for the job.