Jason Schwartzman has joined the cast of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel to the Hunger Games tetralogy.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Schwartzman will play Lucretius Lucky Flickerman, the host of the 10th Hunger Games and ancestor of Caesar Flickerman, who would go on to become the voice of Panem and is portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the original Hunger Games movies.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is being led by Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from impoverished District 12.
Tom Blyth appears as Coriolanus Snow, a young version of the character played by Donald Sutherland in the original films.
Josh Andrés Rivera plays Sejanus Plinth, the mentor to a tribute from District 2 and a close friend of young Coriolanus Snow.
Nick Benson, Laurel Marsden, Lilly Cooper, Luna Steeples and Hiroki Berrecloth were reportedly added to the cast last week.
Hunter Schafer is set as Tigris Snow, Coriolanus’ cousin and confidante.
Francis Lawrence, who helmed three of the four Hunger Games films — Catching Fire, Mockingjay: Part One, and Mockingjay: Part Two — is back in the director’s chair. The most recent version of the script was written by Michael Leslie.
Lawrence is also a producer on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes alongside franchise producer Nina Jacobson and her partner Brad Simpson.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the prequel’s logline from Lionsgate reads: “Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.
“With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from impoverished District 12.
“But after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favour.
“Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird and a snake.”
Schwartzman most recently had a recurring role on the Showtime comedy series I Love That for You (available on Voot Select in India), and the second season of the HBO black comedy The Righteous Gemstones (available on Disney+ Hotstar in India).
He will be next seen in Asteroid City, which reunites him with director and frequent collaborator Wes Anderson. Asteroid City also features Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Tom Hanks, and Margot Robbie, among many others.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is slated to release on November 17, 2023 in cinemas worldwide.