Meet the Tributes of the 10th ‘Hunger Games’ in ‘Songbirds & Snakes’ Images – Armessa Movie News

A new Hunger Games film is nearly upon us which means new tributes are being selected to represent their respective districts in the vicious fight to the death. In Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, however, viewers will go back to a time well before Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) ever volunteered as tribute and when a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is far from becoming the president of the dystopian nation of Panem. Before the film hits theaters later this month, Collider is excited to share some exclusive new images and provide a guide to each of the key tributes and how they relate to everyone we’ve seen on-screen before.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place 64 years before the original 2012 Hunger Games and adapts the 2020 prequel novel penned by Suzanne Collins. With franchise director Francis Lawrence at the helm once again, the film promises a similar mix of action, drama, and romance to its predecessors as Panem gears up for the 10th iteration of the games. Considering the heavy focus on Snow and the glimpses beyond the arena and into the Academy, less time is spent with the tributes from each district. Those who are featured, however, have interesting ties to their eventual successors in the four original films and are plenty intriguing in their own right.

District 12 – Lucy Gray Baird (Succeeded by Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch)

Although District 12 is Panem’s most impoverished district with the odds frequently tipped against its competitors, the films and books by Collins have shone a light on the few winners that have emerged victorious. The Mockingjay herself Katniss became an icon as the district’s champion in the original trilogy, fighting side-by-side with her fellow tribute and love interest Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Together, they manage to not only win the games but find a way to triumph over the system altogether with their mentor and 50th Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson). Songbirds and Snakes introduces a young Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the eventual first winner to emerge from District 12.

The new film is as much about her as it is about Snow. Seeking to restore the honor of the once-prestigious Snow family, Coriolanus takes up the mantle of her mentor but eventually becomes smitten by her charm and realizes her potential is much greater. As their relationship blossoms, they’ll work together to ensure she’s ready to take on the fiercest competition ahead of her, but it’s clear she’s quite different from the champions that would succeed her. Considering her family is the musical troupe The Covey, she’s effortlessly alluring and a true performer, knowing just how to play the people around her while also openly defying the will of the capitol. Zegler exploded onto the scene in Steven Spielberg‘s West Side Story and has since racked up massive starring roles including Shazam! Fury of the Gods earlier this year as well as upcoming titles like the Snow White live-action remake and the star-studded animated feature Spellbound.

District 4 – Coral (Succeeded By Finnick)

A new image introduces the determined, trident-wielding Coral (Mackenzie Lansing), the tribute of the fishing-focused District 4 who ranks as one of the competition’s fiercest fighters. Children are raised from a young age in the district to know how to fish and utilize the three-pronged hunting tool with expert proficiency and Coral is no exception. She forges a close alliance with her fellow District 4 tribute Mizzen (Cooper Dillon) and Tanner (Kjell Brutscheidt) from District 10. Guiding her through the games, meanwhile, is Festus Creed (Max Raphael), a member of Coriolanus’s inner circle. For Lansing, this is her second big title of the year as she also appeared in Gareth Edwards‘s The Creator.

Years after Coral would compete, Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) would take the crown in the 65th Hunger Games, becoming the youngest ever to emerge victorious at 14 years old. He eventually crosses paths with Katniss and company after being reaped for the Third Quarter Quell. Unlike Coral, who seems to be one of the more vicious fighters with no qualms about killing anyone to achieve her goals, Finnick was lively and personable to everyone. His charm made him a favorite in the games, and he proved to be one of the more skilled fighters participating in each of his respective competitions. Sadly, he ultimately gave his life during the Second Rebellion which would eventually bring the games to an end for good.

District 11 – Dill (Succeeded By Rue)

Judging by her image, Dill (Luna Steeples) appears to be one of the more unfortunate tributes reaped into the 10th Hunger Games. Hailing from District 11, she enters the arena already in poor condition as she suffers from Tuberculosis and has a nasty cough to boot. Where the other competitors appear defiant and ready to fight, she highlights the cruelty of the games with her frailty. Her mentor is Felix Ravinstill (Aamer Husain). The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes marks the feature acting debut of Steeples.

Similarly, her counterpart from the original Hunger Games, Rue (Amandla Stenberg), is a reminder of the indiscriminate nature of the Capitol’s games. Rue and Katniss become close allies because of the District 11 tribute’s youth. She’s only 12, the same age as Katniss’s sister Primrose (Willow Shields), yet she became a valuable ally thanks to her climbing and foraging abilities as well as her knowledge of plants. Seeing her be killed violently by Marvel (Jack Quaid) was deeply affecting for Katniss and the entirety of District 11 who were furious that such a young competitor could be sent off to their death.

District 11 – Reaper (Succeeded By Thresh)

District 11’s male tribute Reaper (Dimitri Abold), however, immediately comes off as one of the more fearsome characters in the 10th Hunger Games as he’s shown standing tall and strong in his best threads while being escorted by a Peacekeeper. He’s fiercely protective of his fellow tribute Dill, knowing full well she’s not likely to survive long on her own. The mentee of popular Academy student Clemensia Dovecote (Ashley Liao), Reaper’s weapon of choice is a long knife, and he’ll look to bring the strength and skills he honed living in the agriculture district to bear during the games. Fans of the Netflix favorite Warrior Nun might recognize Abold for his appearance in four episodes of the series as well as Prime Video’s Love Addicts.

In the 74th Hunger Games, Reaper is succeeded by Thresh (Dayo Okeniyi) who similarly forged a close bond with his District 11 partner Rue. Also like Reaper, Thresh’s imposing figure and skills made him one to watch out for when the fighting began, though he was also deeply compassionate and kind-hearted. He had a deep respect for Katniss after she allied with Rue, even saving the series protagonist’s life by taking out the sadistic Clove (Isabelle Fuhrman). Although they only properly met once, the lone wolf had an impact on Katniss and the audience thanks to his honor and care toward others. Whether Reaper will take up the same solitary behavior when the pressure’s on remains to be seen.

District 7 – Lamina (Succeeded By Johanna)

Rounding out the key tributes of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is Lamina (Irene Böhm) from District 7, the densely wooded district of Panem known for its output of lumber and paper. Her outfit as shown in the final image reflects her upbringing, making it only natural that she’s most proficient with her district’s signature weapon — an ax. As a skilled climber, she’s a nimble threat Lucy Gray will have to contend with as she looks to defy the odds and come out on top. Guiding her through the games, though, is the mercurial Pliny Harrington (Ayomide Adegun) who is not the easiest mentor to be around in the book. This will also be Böhm’s feature acting debut, though she previously enjoyed a prominent role in the German television series Babylon Berlin.

Her counterpart is Johanna Mason (Jena Malone), one of the few tributes aside from Katniss and Peeta to survive through to the end of the Capitol’s Hunger Games. As the victor of the 71st iteration, she was reaped back into the arena alongside her fellow winners for the Third Quarter Quell, though she had alternate plans in place to take part in a rebellion that would eventually topple President Snow’s (Donald Sutherland) cruel regime. Like Lamina, she was also a fierce ax wielder with enough cleverness and cruelty to get herself through the games. It takes a while to warm up to each other, but she eventually becomes a close friend to Katniss after protecting her throughout the 75th Games.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes premieres in theaters on November 17 in the U.S. Read our full guide here for everything you can expect to see in the prequel film. You can pre-order tickets at AMC theaters below.

Pre-Order AMC Tickets