The Hunger Games actor Sam Claflin reveals whether he would return to the franchise for a Finnick Odair prequel. Claflin played the District 4 Hunger Games victor in Catching Fire and both Mockingjay films. As a fan-favorite character whose Games have never been shown, there has been a great deal of interest in a Finnick prequel for quite some time, with the possibility becoming more tangible after author Suzanne Collins’ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes prequel book and its recent film adaptation.
While speaking with Variety on the red carpet of the 2024 Emmy Awards, Claflin was asked if he had seen The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and whether he would return to the franchise. Check out the video below:
Claflin’s supportive and complimentary comments regarding The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes show that he still has positive feelings about the franchise. He expressed interest in returning, though he did admit he doesn’t think it’s particularly likely. However, he did have an idea for a role he could play. Read Claflin’s full response about whether he’d return below:
One hundred percent. I don’t know if there’s room for me to go back. I’m too old now, I’m not blonde, I’m not blue-eyed. I’ve heard rumors that people are asking for a Finnick prequel. All I’m going to say is I’d be all in for Finnick’s dad.
Will A Finnick Prequel Ever Happen?
Director Francis Lawrence’s condition for more Hunger Games movies is “If Suzanne has another thematic idea that she feels fits the world of Panem,” confirming he doesn’t feel the need to do another story just for the sake of it. While another film could happen without Lawrence at the helm, he has directed every installment in the franchise since Catching Fire, bringing a consistent vision that complements Collins’ original vision of each respective story. The Hunger Games is not a franchise that expands simply for the sake of expanding.
There is currently no confirmation of Collins writing more stories in the world of Panem. As Lawrence indicated, any future stories would need to have a new and compelling thematic premise, as The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes did. The prequel novel and movie work well because they not only enrich the original trilogy, but also explore new themes and a mostly new cast of characters. A prequel showing the Games won by Finnick, Haymitch Abernathy, Johanna Mason, or other victors needs to have a more interesting reason to exist other than just providing a new backstory.
That draw could involve Finnick’s love story with Annie Cresta and learning from his mentor Mags, all while surviving the Games and the horrors he experiences in the aftermath. The problem with this story is that many of the key developments were already revealed in Catching Fire and Mockingjay. A Finnick Hunger Games movie currently seems unlikely, but it’s not impossible, especially when considering that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was released years after the series reached a seemingly definitive end with Mockingjay.
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is a multi-movie franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. The films are based on the young adult dystopian book series by author Suzanne Collins. The first film was released in 2012, followed by Catching Fire in 2013, Mockingjay Part 1 in 2014, and Mockingjay Part 2 in 2015. In 2023, the fifth film in the series was released, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
- Created by
- Suzanne Collins
- First Film
- The Hunger Games
- Cast
- Jennifer Lawrence , Josh Hutcherson , Liam Hemsworth , Elizabeth Banks , Woody Harrelson , Stanley Tucci , Donald Sutherland , Lenny Kravitz , Willow Shields , Phillip Seymour Hoffman , Rachel Zegler , Tom Blyth , Viola Davis , Peter Dinklage , Hunter Schafer , Jason Schwartzman
