Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate
Topics: News, Film and TV
Charisa Bossinakis
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set to be the longest movie in the Hunger Games film franchise.
According to TMBD, The Hunger Games prequel has a runtime of two hours and 45 minutes, clipping Catching Fire, which ran for two hours and 26 minutes.
So, be sure to head to the bathroom before entering the cinema or time it strategically.
Advert
The upcoming Hunger Games film is scheduled to be theatrically released in November.
It takes place 64 years before the first installment and will follow a young Coriolanus Snow, living as an orphan with his grandmother and cousin Tigris, in a small apartment, according to Deadline.
As a top-performing academic student, Snow is chosen as a mentor for the 10th Hunger Games, where he’s assigned to a tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, a girl from the impoverished District 12, and the two develop a friendship.
Tom Blyth has been cast to play Coriolanus Snow, and Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) will play the role of Lucy Gray Baird.
Francis Lawrence, who directed three of the Hunger Games films, will return as director, with the screenplay written by Michael Lesslie, who previously worked on Creed.
Lawrence has previously spoken of the ‘exhaustive’ process of trying to find Lucy; however, when Zegler auditioned for the part, she ‘blew the roof off’, according to Entertainment Weekly.
"Like everybody, I first saw Rachel Zegler in West Side Story, and like everybody, I knew I was watching a star who would command the screen for a generation," he said.
“Lucy Gray is a perfect match for her as an actress: the character is bold, independent, and defiant, but also vulnerable, emotional, and loving. Rachel will make this character unforgettable."
However, the actor suddenly left social media after the first trailer was dropped earlier this year.
While the teaser garnered much positive reception, a few trolls left hateful remarks questioning the film's casting.
It prompted the 22-year-old to announce that she would be leaving Twitter for the time being, writing: "Sending you love while you figure it out."
She followed this up with a simple 'Bye bird app', accompanied by a 'heart hands' emoji.