Francis Lawrence opens up about casting Tom Blythe as the lead in 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'

The story of Snow’s rising! Lionsgate is prepared to unveil the long-awaited fifth chapter of the beloved series, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on November 17, 2023. The anticipation surrounding this instalment, which already has a cult following, is immense. The ensemble cast, including renowned names like Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Tom Blythe and Rachel Zegler has further amplified excitement among fans worldwide ever since the franchise’s inception. Centred around the journey of Coriolanus Snow (previously essayed by Donald Sutherland ), this prequel to the original series has fans jumping with excitement. The film is helmed by director Francis Lawrence , who is returning for the fourth consecutive time to bring his creative prowess to the silver screen.

Donald Sutherland rings synonymous with Coriolanus Snow. A performance so powerful, that audiences felt his menace through the screen. To reimagine a younger, more innocent version of Snow, the makers had to dig deep and boy were they rewarded when Tom Blythe took the centre stage.

Talking about casting Tom Blythe as Coriolanus Snow, Director Francis Lawrence said, “We didn’t really know much about him, didn’t know who he was. He came in, and we saw a reading of his with our casting director that was just great. I mean, he was magnetic, and he’s so good at his craft. I mean, you know, he’s an English actor; he’s a Juilliard graduate. He really loves acting and really studies acting and really cares and really works. But also, there’s the resemblance to Donald Sutherland. And so, you know, all those factors combined kind of made him the guy.“

Further talking about his resemblance to Donald Sutherland, Lawrence added, “I’d also say that there’s an element of him that is very controlled, which Snow is, and Donald is, that I liked very much for the role.“

Lionsgate and PVRINOX Pictures will release The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in theatres in India on November 17th, 2023