Rachel Zegler Is the 'Anti-Katniss' in Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Director Says

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snake director Francis Lawrence compares Rachel Zegler's character to Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss.


The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snake, the revival of the beloved The Hunger Games series, is set to hit the screens with a very different protagonist.


Departing from the intense action of Mockingjay, Part Two that graced theaters in 2015, the upcoming installment takes inspiration from Suzanne Collins' prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Returning to the director's chair for the latest film is Francis Lawrence, who previously directed three of the four films in the series, Catching Fire and both parts of Mockingjay. The director discussed the film in an interview with Empire Magazine and shared some details on Zegler's Lucy Gray Baird.


Will People Watch a Hunger Games Movie Without Katniss?


Lawrence acknowledged the concern that the lack of series' face, Jennifer Lawrence as her iconic character Katniss Everdeen, may indeed affect the film's reception. "Will people go see a new Hunger Games movie without Katniss?” Lawrence wondered as he proceeded to describe the character in depth. "Katniss was an introvert and a survivor. She was quite quiet and stoic, you could almost say asexual."


The spotlight is set to shift onto Rachel Zegler, the emerging actress who plays Lucy Gray Baird, the tribute hailing from District 12 in the story. "Lucy Gray is the opposite. She wears her sexuality on her sleeve, [and] she really is a performer," Lawrence stated, describing the new character as the "anti-Katniss." He continued to elaborate that the contrast between the two heroines extends further, and into their tactics as well. While Katniss reluctantly became a symbol of rebellion, Lucy embraces the limelight and people's adoration as a weapon. He teased, “She loves crowds. She knows how to play crowds and manipulate people."


Beyond her involvement in this Hunger Games revival, Rachel Zegler is best recognized for her role in Steven Spielberg' West Side Story. The actress has also been making headlines with her controversial statements about her role in the upcoming Disney's live-action remake Snow White remake.


Going back 60 years into the past, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will revolve around the origins of the cruel Hunger Games system, featuring the mysterious President Coriolanus Snow during his youthful days in the Capitol. Notably, this iconic character, previously portrayed by Donald Sutherland, has now been taken over by Tom Blyth. While the upcoming installment paves the way for a fresh perspective on the dystopian world, the return of director Francis Lawrence adds a sense of continuity, assuring that the essence of the series will be preserved.

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