The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Ashley Liao comments on Clemensia Dovecott’s smaller role in the film than in the source material. Based on the book by author Suzanne Collins, director Francis Lawrence’s latest installment in the successful Hunger Games franchise follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) decades before the story of Katniss Everdeen. While the film is faithful to the book in many ways, it does deviate in some respects, including a less prominent role for Clemensia.
In a recent interview with ComicBookMovie.com, Liao addresses Clemensia not getting scenes in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes that played out in the novel. The actor comments specifically on Clemensia not participating in the titular games as she does in the book, and also touches on whether she would have liked to have portrayed the character’s transformation after experiencing the snake bite. Check out Liao’s comments below:
“Hmm, part of me would have loved to get into the nitty-gritty of doing my own stunts. I know Rachel [Zegler] did most of her own and that’s so impressive. I did only one or two days of me falling onto a mat [Laughs]. I’d have loved to do that and some martial arts training. I have my black belt so I’d love to get into a fistfight, but no, I’m thankful Clemensia is safe in the Capitol! I do have to say that [Laughs].
“You know, it’s such a dense book and such a dense film to begin with. I would have loved to sit in that hair and makeup chair for hours on end to see the magic come to fruition, I will say that. There’s always room for more. This is the world of sci-fi. Anything can happen!”
The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes’ Changes From The Book Explained
Why The Hunger Games Prequel’s Changes Were Necessary
Cutting will be a necessary part of any adaptation from book to screen. A novel, after all, generally features a lot more story as it has room for far more character details and subplots. A big-budget movie from a studio usually maxes out at around two and a half hours (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is 2 hours and 38 minutes) and this means that a one-to-one adaptation is almost ever possible.
The cutting of Clemensia’ plot points from the books is part of a larger attempt to more fully focus the narrative on Lucy and Snow. The main story, after all, follows these two characters’ journeys, and it wouldn’t make sense to cut scenes with either of these characters to make room for a new scene with a supporting character. That being said, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes‘ reviews were somewhat mixed compared to past Hunger Games movies, suggesting that perhaps some wrong choices were made in terms of what to cut and what to keep.
Although there are changes from Collins’ source material scattered throughout the movie, it is ultimately a fairly faithful retelling. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes‘ ending, for example, is more or less the same, with Lucy’s fate left ambiguous while Snow is one step closer to being the evil man in The Hunger Games. Clemensia, however, is a compelling character from Collins’ book, and it undoubtedly would have been interesting to see her unique storyline play out on screen in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel movie set 64 years before the events of the original movie with Katniss Everdeen. The film centers on a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and shows his rise to power as the leader of Panem. Taking place during the 10th Hunger Games, Snow is tasked with mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the tribute from District 12.
- Release Date
- November 17, 2023
- Director
- Francis Lawrence
- Cast
- Tom Blyth , Rachel Zegler , Hunter Schafer , Jason Schwartzman , Peter Dinklage , Josh Andrés , Josh Andrés Rivera , Viola Davis
- Runtime
- 157 Minutes
- 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
