Rachel Zegler Can't Stop, Won't Stop Channeling Katniss Everdeen At Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes Red Carpets, And I'm Obsessed With Her Latest Sheer Look

Rachel Zegler in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
(Image credit: Photo Credit: Murray Close)

Not only is Rachel Zegler channeling Katniss Everdeen again on the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes press tour, but she’s also tapping into the sheer dress trend to create an absolutely incredible look. Taking inspiration from the District 12 tribute from The Hunger Games, the Lucy Gray Baird actress has rocked the carpet in dresses inspired by the movies, and this time she created a look that harkens back to Catching Fire

At a premiere of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Zegler rocked a gorgeous dress that was inspired by Katniss’ interview gown in The Hunger Games. Now, the West Side Story star has taken a page out of Catching Fire’s book, by wearing an outfit that resembles the entrance dress Cinna designed for the archer’s second Hunger Games. Take a look:

Rachel Zegler arrives at "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" World Premiere at BFI IMAX Waterloo on November 09, 2023 in London, England.

(Image credit: Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

As you can see, Zegler rocked a gorgeous sheer lace gown to the London premiere of the Hunger Games prequel. The dress was designed by Christian Dior, per InStyle, and the actress re-posted side-by-side comparisons of it with Katniss’ entrance dress from Catching Fire on her Instagram stories. You can see the resemblance of the two ensembles below:  

From left to right: A screenshot of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in Catching Fire and a Getty Image of Rachel Zegler at the London Premiere of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

(Image credit: Lionsgate and Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

In the second Hunger Games film, Katniss and Peeta enter the opening ceremonies in black gothic outfits, that end up lighting up like embers. It’s an absolutely epic entrance, and the perfect dress for Zegler to take inspiration from.

On top of this being a perfect call back to the Hunger Games films, Zegler is also brilliantly leaning into the sheer dress trend. This isn’t the first time she’s done this, as she rocked a wonderful sheer gown to the Shazam! Fury of the Gods premiere that was gold, blue and ethereal, which totally fit her character. I love that the actress draws from the project she’s in to create her looks for the press tours, and the ensembles she’s curated for Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are next level. 

Zegler and the Songbirds and Snakes cast and crew have been clear about how much they love the original Hunger Games. For example, the actress and the movie's director Francis Lawrence worked an incredible Katniss Easter egg into the prequel, which you can see in the The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes trailer. Now, she’s paying homage to the character and Jennifer Lawrence through her epic premiere looks, and I’m obsessed.

Pretty soon, we’ll be able to see Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Ballad of Songbirds and Sankes as it premieres on the 2023 movie schedule on November 17. In the meantime, we all need to take a minute to really appreciate these epic Katniss-inspired looks that the actress has put together for the film’s premieres. 

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.