'The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' first reviews laud fantasy-drama
What's the story
It's time to return to Panem again. Hollywood film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the newest film in The Hunger Games franchise, is heading toward a theatrical release on November 17. However, its first reactions are already out, and they have called it "one of the best in the series" and "even better than the book." Check out the reviews.
Praise
Fantasy drama made some viewers nostalgic
The reactions shared on X are replete with high praise about the setting, costumes, performances, and story, with several fans calling it a perfect "book-to-screen adaptation." A user wrote, "[The film] really delivered for me. Watching this made me feel the magic I felt when I saw the first movie [at 14]—I can't wait to see it again when it comes out."
Comparison
It has reportedly 'stayed true to the source material'
Another fan gushed about the drama, "Long-time Hunger Games fans can rest easy knowing that [the new film] has landed on top. It definitely shows how much they wanted to stay true to the source material of the books and this has become one of my favorite Hunger Games films to date." Praise has also poured in for its production design and world-building.
Twitter Post
Take a look at another fan's views
ballad of songbirds and snakes was my favorite book in 2020, and i adored the movie. it felt like catching fire in all the best ways. backed by incredible performances by tom blyth, rachel zegler, viola davis, and more — watching it all come to life, oh man #thehungergames pic.twitter.com/FIosGOIg6R
— Nora Dominick (@noradominick) November 5, 2023
The film
Know about the film, cast, and director
Directed by Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is the fifth film in the franchise and serves as a prequel to 2012's The Hunger Games. Based on Suzanne Collins's 2020 namesake novel, it's anchored by an ensemble cast comprising Peter Dinklage, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Viola Davis, Josh Andrés Rivera, and Jason Schwartzman.
The franchise
Understand the franchise a little better
Everything started in 2012 with The Hunger Games and the next year, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, followed suit. The third installment was The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) and the fourth one was The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015). The fifth part, thus, has seen the light after eight years. All books are based on Collins's novels.
Lawrence's vision
Lawrence would like to keep working on the series
In a recent interview, Lawrence shared that he's up for another film if "Collins has new ideas." He told Entertainment Weekly, " If Suzanne has another thematic idea that she feels fits into the world of Panem - whether that's with new people or familiar characters like Finnick, Haymitch, whoever - I'd be interested in looking at it and being a part of it."