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Still from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
Spin-off · by Priya Nair

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023): Cast, Plot and Ending Explained

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) is the Hunger Games prequel directed by Francis Lawrence, released in US theaters on November 17, 2023, and set more than sixty years before the original films. It is the fifth film in release order and the first in chronological order, a spin-off that follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) as he mentors Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the District 12 tribute in the 10th Hunger Games. It runs 157 minutes, the longest film in the series, and grossed $364 million worldwide on a $100 million budget.

Image: TMDB
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) theatrical poster
US release
November 17, 2023
Runtime
2h 37m
Rating
PG-13 / 12A / M
Budget
$100 million
Worldwide
$364 million

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Trailer

Official Trailer

Sunrise on the reaping trailer

What Is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes About?

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is about the young Coriolanus Snow, a Capitol student from a once wealthy family, and the District 12 tribute he is asked to mentor in the 10th Hunger Games. The story takes place about ten years after the First Rebellion and more than sixty years before The Hunger Games (2012), so none of the characters from Katniss Everdeen's story are the leads here.

Snow's family has fallen on hard times, and he is poor, proud and desperate to restore the family name. His chance comes when he is chosen as a mentor and paired with Lucy Gray Baird, the tribute from District 12. The two bond over their struggles, and Snow's ideas begin to shape how the Games are run. That last detail is the hinge of the film, because it asks how an event so cruel became the televised institution that the later films show.

Francis Lawrence directs, returning for his fourth Hunger Games film after Catching Fire and both Mockingjay films. If you want the film placed among the others, the Hunger Games movies in order page lays out both sequences.

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Cast: Who Plays Who?

Hunger games cast

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Stills

  • Still from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), still 1
  • Still from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), still 2
  • Still from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), still 3
  • Still from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), still 4
  • Still from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), still 5

Release Dates

MarketDateSource
USNovember 17, 2023confirmedthewrap.com
UKNovember 17, 2023reportedthemoviedb.org
AUNovember 16, 2023reportedthemoviedb.org

Where to Watch The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

MarketSubscriptionRent or buy
USHulu, YouTube TV, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Fandango at Home Free, Tubi TV (Free with ads)Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
UKNone listedApple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, Sky Store, YouTube
AUNetflix, Stan, Netflix Standard with AdsJustWatch TV Store, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, YouTube

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, checked 2026-11-03.

Who Directed and Wrote the Film?

DirectorFrancis Lawrence
WritersMichael Lesslie, Michael Arndt
ProducersFrancis Lawrence, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson
MusicJames Newton Howard
CinematographyJo Willems

Box Office

Budget$100 million
Domestic (US and Canada)$166 million
International$198 million
Worldwide$364 million
Worldwide, in September 2026 dollars$402 million

Hunger games box office for every film.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Soundtrack and Score

James Newton Howard composed the score for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023), and the album "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Original Motion Picture Score" came out on Sony Classical on November 17, 2023, with 40 tracks. Howard also scored the four earlier films, so the prequel keeps the same composer as the saga it leads into.

Two songs are featured in the film:

  • "The Hanging Tree" by Rachel Zegler
  • "Can't Catch Me Now" by Olivia Rodrigo

"The Hanging Tree" is sung by Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, who plays a guitar while Snow finds her in a field in District 12. She sings it again when she runs away from him, and the mockingjays repeat it back to her. For viewers who know the later films, this is the moment that ties the prequel to Katniss, who performs the same song in Mockingjay Part 1.

"Can't Catch Me Now" by Olivia Rodrigo was written for the film. It plays over the end credits, after the closing scenes, so it works as a coda rather than as part of the story itself.

In my opinion, the split is a sensible one: the song that carries the lore sits inside the story, and the new pop song waits until the credits. For the full picture across the saga, the Hunger Games soundtrack page covers composers and songs film by film on Cinvibe.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Original Motion Picture Score album cover

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Original Motion Picture Score

Score album · Sony Classical · November 17, 2023 · 40 tracks

Cover art via Deezer

Full tracklist

  1. 1The Dark Days · James Newton Howard1:56
  2. 2Anthem: Gem of Panem (Instrumental) · James Newton Howard0:44
  3. 3Coryo in the Capitol · James Newton Howard0:44
  4. 4Assigning the Mentors · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang2:38
  5. 5Meet the Mentor · James Newton Howard2:01
  6. 6Gamemaker · James Newton Howard1:21
  7. 7Sejanus · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang1:59
  8. 8Hunger is a Weapon · James Newton Howard2:44
  9. 9Strategy · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang2:06
  10. 10Department of War · James Newton Howard3:39
  11. 11The Arena · James Newton Howard2:07
  12. 12Saving Snow · James Newton Howard1:24
  13. 13Ideas Firing · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang4:24
  14. 14Happy Hunger Games · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang3:29
  15. 15Mercy · James Newton Howard2:21
  16. 16Seize the Opportunity · James Newton Howard1:18
  17. 17Cut the Feed · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang1:28
  18. 18Open the Gate · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang3:46
  19. 19Powerful · James Newton Howard1:44
  20. 20Afraid of Water · James Newton Howard1:18
  21. 21Drone Attack · James Newton Howard3:21
  22. 22Inside the Duct · James Newton Howard1:04
  23. 23Under the Flag · James Newton Howard2:55
  24. 24Planting the Cloth · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang3:37
  25. 25Rainbow of Destruction · James Newton Howard1:13
  26. 26Get Her Out · James Newton Howard3:45
  27. 27The Sound of Snow · James Newton Howard1:59
  28. 28Your Life Has Just Begun · James Newton Howard1:03
  29. 29You Are Safe · James Newton Howard1:47
  30. 30Trust is Everything · James Newton Howard1:20
  31. 31I Can’t Stay Here · James Newton Howard1:43
  32. 32Cabin in the Rain · James Newton Howard1:31
  33. 33Lucy? · James Newton Howard2:27
  34. 34The Woods · James Newton Howard1:09
  35. 35Change of Plan · James Newton Howard2:03
  36. 36Passed the Tests · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang3:37
  37. 37Snow Lands on Top · James Newton Howard3:30
  38. 38Three Solos for Yuja: I. Friendship · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang2:06
  39. 39Three Solos for Yuja: II. Rue’s Farewell · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang2:03
  40. 40Three Solos for Yuja: III. Victor · James Newton Howard, Yuja Wang2:01

Songs in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

  1. Can't Catch Me Now

    Written for the film

    Olivia Rodrigo

    It plays over the end credits, after the film's closing scenes.

  2. The Hanging Tree

    Licensed song

    Rachel Zegler

    Lucy Gray sings it with a guitar as Snow finds her in a field in District 12, and she sings it again as she runs away from him while mockingjays repeat it.

Sources: musicbrainz.org, themoviedb.org, en.wikipedia.org, stereogum.com

Hunger games soundtrack

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Plot: Full SummarySpoilers

The full plot of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes follows Snow from ambitious mentor to exiled Peacekeeper, and it ends with a betrayal that costs him Lucy Gray. Spoilers follow for the whole story.

Snow hopes that a mentoring prize will rescue his family's fortunes. As he and Lucy Gray grow close, his suggestions help make the Games more brutal and more of a spectacle, which is a grim detail for a character many viewers are inclined to root for. Determined to keep Lucy Gray alive, he follows her into the arena. There he helps save a fellow mentor and is forced to kill a tribute himself.

His cheating then comes to light, and he is exiled to the Districts to serve as a Peacekeeper. In District 12 he meets Lucy Gray again and has to weigh his loyalties. He betrays his friend Sejanus Plinth, who sympathizes with the rebels, and covers up what he did. Lucy Gray plans to run away with him, which gives the final stretch the shape of an escape story, at least for a while.

Then Snow confesses his betrayal, and she turns against him. He chases her into the forest to keep her quiet, and a snake bites him there. He cannot be sure whether he shot her. He never sees or hears from her again, and the film leaves her fate unclear.

Release Date, Premiere and Where to Watch

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes premiered at the BFI IMAX in London on November 9, 2023, and reached US theaters on November 17, 2023. TheWrap confirmed the US date in its trailer coverage, and the date had first been announced in August 2022. TMDB lists a UK release on November 17, 2023 and an Australian release on November 16, 2023.

The film grossed $166 million domestically and $198 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $364 million, according to Box Office Mojo. That is the lowest worldwide figure of the five films. The full comparison is on the Hunger Games box office page.

Where can you watch it? Availability comes from TMDB and JustWatch data checked on November 3, 2026, and it changes often. In the US the film is included with Hulu, YouTube TV and the Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, is free with ads on Tubi and Fandango at Home Free, and can be rented or bought from Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango at Home. In the UK it is rental and purchase only, through Apple TV, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, Sky Store and YouTube. In Australia it streams on Netflix and Stan, and is also available to rent or buy. The wider list is on where to watch Hunger Games.

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Ending ExplainedSpoilers

The ending of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes shows Snow choosing power over the one person who trusted him, and it leaves open whether Lucy Gray survived. Spoilers follow.

Here is what happens on screen. Snow confesses his betrayal, and Lucy Gray turns against him. He chases her into the forest to keep her quiet. A snake bites him there, and he does not know whether his shot hit her. She vanishes from his life, and the film never confirms whether she lived.

Did Snow ever actually love Lucy Gray? In my opinion, the film lets both readings stand. He risks the arena for her, which is real feeling, but he also treats her as the key to his family's recovery, and he chases her down once she becomes a threat. It could be argued that he loved her as far as his ambition allowed, which is not very far.

Why did Snow betray Lucy Gray? The film shows him betraying Sejanus Plinth and covering it up, and then pursuing Lucy Gray into the forest to keep her quiet. It never states his motive outright, but, in my opinion, the pattern points to a man protecting himself before anyone else.

The open ending matters for the saga. His choices push him toward the ruthless view of power that defines the tyrant played by Donald Sutherland in The Hunger Games (2012). Because Lucy Gray's fate is never settled, the story stays unfinished in a way I find more unsettling than a confirmed death. For the wider order of events, see the Hunger Games timeline.

Filming Locations and Story Settings

The settings of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are the Capitol, the arena of the 10th Hunger Games, District 12 and a forest. The Capitol is where Snow studies and where the Games are staged.

Each setting carries a different mood. The Capitol is the world of Snow's fallen family, where status matters and the money is gone. The arena is where his plan to keep Lucy Gray alive is tested. District 12 is where he serves as a Peacekeeper after his exile, and where the choices about Sejanus Plinth and Lucy Gray come to a head. The forest is the last setting, and it is where the snake bites him.

If you are interested in how the districts differ across the saga, the Hunger Games districts page covers them.

Trivia: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Facts

Francis Lawrence directed this film as his fourth Hunger Games movie, and Suzanne Collins and Tim Palen are executive producers, with Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson producing. Michael Lesslie wrote the latest draft of the screenplay, building on earlier work by Suzanne Collins and Michael Arndt, and Lionsgate executives Meredith Wieck and Scott O'Brien oversaw the film for the studio.

The November 17, 2023 release date was announced in August 2022. The trailer features a new version of The Hanging Tree, the song Katniss sings in Mockingjay Part 1, and The Numbers lists the production budget at $100 million.

At 157 minutes, it is the longest of the five films, ahead of Catching Fire at 146 minutes, The Hunger Games (2012) at 142, Mockingjay Part 2 at 137 and Mockingjay Part 1 at 123. It is the fifth film by release but the first by story, so it sits at number one in the chronological order and number five in the release order. Next up is Sunrise on the Reaping, set for a US release on November 20, 2026, according to TheWrap. TMDB lists Francis Lawrence as its director and a UK release on the same date. Our verdicts on the prequel will appear on the Hunger Games reviews page as they are added, and the franchise overview is on the Hunger Games movies hub.

Facts

FAQs

Should I watch The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes first?

No, release order is the safer choice for a first viewing, even though the film is first in chronological order and fifth in release order. In my opinion, the prequel lands harder once you know the older President Snow. The Hunger Games movies in order page shows both sequences.

Why did The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes get bad reviews?

I will not quote critic scores here, but the film does divide viewers. In my opinion, the 157 minute runtime, the longest of the series, and a lead who is slowly revealed as a villain are the main reasons. It grossed $364 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, the lowest of the five films.

Is there 4 or 5 Hunger Games movies?

There are five Hunger Games films. The four main films run from The Hunger Games (2012) to Mockingjay Part 2 (2015), and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) is a prequel spin-off. A sixth, Sunrise on the Reaping, is scheduled for November 20, 2026. The page on how many Hunger Games movies are there has the full list.

Is Katniss mentioned in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?

Katniss Everdeen is not a character in the film, and Jennifer Lawrence is not in the cast. The story takes place more than sixty years before The Hunger Games (2012). The link to her story is the new version of The Hanging Tree in the trailer, the song Katniss sings in Mockingjay Part 1.

Why did Snow betray Lucy Gray?

The film never states a motive. Snow betrays his friend Sejanus Plinth and covers it up, and when he later confesses to Lucy Gray, she turns against him and he chases her into the forest to keep her quiet. In my opinion, he is protecting his standing.

Did Snow ever actually love Lucy Gray?

The film does not settle the question. He follows her into the arena and works to keep her alive, but he also pursues her after she learns of his betrayal. In my opinion, his feelings were sincere but limited by ambition.