What Hunger Games Author Really Thinks About Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes

Summary

• The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a prequel to The Hunger Games, which hits theaters next week
• The original author of the book series praised the upcoming film and the crew working on it
• With the Hollywood double strike over, she is happy the movie can be promoted by the cast and is grateful to the fans for their support

The Hunger Games is arguably one of the most influential franchises of the past few decades. Not only because the novels written by Suzanne Collins are a prime example of young adult fiction and have influenced the formation of the entire genre, but also because they contain timeless ideas. After all, the dystopian series explores themes of authoritarianism, class stratification, cynical consumerism at the cost of innocent lives, and, of course, themes of resistance to dictatorship.

Lionsgate's faithful film adaptations have been particularly popular, and the final installment of the book and film series, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a prequel to the misadventures of Katniss Everdeen, will be released next week. Despite being a monstrous 2.5 hours long, the movie promises to be worth every minute, as Collins herself is incredibly high praise for the adaptation.

The New Hunger Games Movie

Set 64 years in the future, the prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will follow the transformation of young Coryo, an 18-year-old Academy member who serves as a mentor in the 10th Hunger Games. As the story unfolds, we will learn how the talented and idealistic young man becomes the brutal tyrant from the original novels and movies, President Coriolanus Snow.

Suzanne Collins Has Approved the New Adaptation

On November 4, the official Hunger Games Twitter account published a lengthy statement by the author, who managed to catch a glimpse of the final cut of the film adaptation after the WGA strike.

'As the WGA strike has concluded, I've been able to view the final cut of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and I'm thrilled to recommend it,' she wrote. Those words alone from the franchise's All-Mother are enough to attend the premiere of the new Lionsgate movie without a second thought!

'The book was an attempt to explore the state of nature debate through the tale of young President Snow while lifting the veils on the origin of the Hunger Games, which were not only designed to punish the districts but to remind the audience of human beings' essential character,' Collins continued. 'And I need to begin with a huge thank you to everybody involved in the making of this film, you've done an incredible job bringing this story to life!'

The author praised the incredible work of director Francis Lawrence, who also helmed the previous installments of the series. It should be noted that the novel is incredibly large, and to fit it into a movie (albeit a very long one) requires incredible skill and ability while conveying the ideas and atmosphere of Panama just recovering from a devastating war.

She also praised the writers, producers, editors, designers and VFX artists who worked on the film for their thoughtful and passionate approach, full of philosophical implications, as well as producer Dave Cobb and composer James Newton Howard for their tremendous work in selecting and mixing the music.

She's Glad the Cast Can Join in the Praise

It's also important to note that with the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the cast will finally be able to promote the movie and appear on the red carpet, which Collins is excited about as she is impressed with the talented cast that has brought her characters to life.

She also had some words of gratitude for those who are the reason the franchise exists — its fans.

Such high praise from the author herself only indicates that the movie promises to be incredibly deep and exciting, no less than the previous installments of The Hunger Games. The movie will be released in American theaters on November 17.

Source: X.