"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" To Premiere On Starz

STARZ is pleased to announce it will be the exclusive home to Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes beginning May 14, when it begins streaming on the STARZ app. It will premiere on the STARZ channel at 9:00 pm ET.

The film, a fascinating prequel to the immensely popular Hunger Games franchise, details Coriolanus Snow's life as a young mentor looking to make a name for himself, nearly 70 years before he became the villainous President Snow we all know from Katniss Everdeen’s adventures. Starring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was released in theaters in November 2023 and grossed over $338 million worldwide. The Hunger Games franchise has grossed over $3.3 billion at the worldwide box office.

Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Blyth) 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 (Zegler), the girls' 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 favor. 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 who is a snake.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games franchise stars Tom Blyth (Benediction), Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler (Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, West Side Story, 2022), Emmy Award winner Peter Dinklage (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, “Game of Thrones,” 2019), Hunter Schafer (“Euphoria”), Josh Andrés Rivera (West Side Story), Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City), and EGOT winner Viola Davis (Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, “How to Get Away with Murder,” 2015; GRAMMY for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording, Finding Me, 2023; Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Fences, 2017; Tony for Best Actress (Leading Role - Play), Fences, 2010).