Every few years a YA franchise will become a sensation, and the Hunger Games franchise was definitely in that category. While Jennifer Lawrence's franchise is streaming with a Peacock subscription, Panem recently returned to theaters with the prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. And actress Rachel Zegler quoted Olivia Rodrigo while opening up about the odds of a potential sequel.
Zegler led the cast of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12 who formed a bond with a young Coriolanus Snow. The Songbirds and Snakes ending has been discussed at length, as it's unclear if Lucy survived or not. The West Side Story actress was recently asked by Deadline about whether she'll be returning to Hunger Games as Lucy, and she responded with:
I don't know. It's not up to me, but as Olivia Rodrigo said, 'She’s in the trees, she’s in the breeze. I actually know what's going to happen. I, for one, like to believe she's alive.
There you have it. It sounds like Zegler truly doesn't know one way or another if Songbirds and Snakes will get a sequel. Although given how well the prequel performed at the box office, it seems like an easy decision to make for the studio.
In her comments, Zelger quotes Olivia Rodrigo's song "Can't Catch Me Now," which was written for the Hunger Games movie's soundtrack. The lyrics echo the mystery or whether or not Lucy survived her encounter in the woods with Snow, although her influence on the future Panem President never really went away. Later in the same interview, the Shazam 2 actress expressed her interest in reprising her role, saying:
I really hope so. It would be so fun to go back.
While The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a gamble, the movie's success proved that audiences are still interested in the Hunger Games franchise all these years later. Now its just a matter of when/how Lionsgate moves forward. While some want to se a sequel to the last movie, others want to see different characters get their own prequel. After all, Panem has a rich tapestry of characters to pull from.
Of course, the chatter surrounding The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has also renewed interest from some fans who want to see Jennifer Lawrence return to her iconic role as Katniss Everdeen. After the prequel was released in theaters, fan theories about Lucy's connection to Katniss began circulating online. Lawrence's character was name dropped... kind of, and we also learned that Lucy was the original singer of "The Hanging Tree."
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is available for home purchase now, and the previous franchise is streaming on Peacock. Check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next trip to the movies.
