Francis Lawrence: Last News

Euphoria star Hunter Schafer has reportedly been cast as Tigris Snow in Lionsgate's prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.The 23-year-old transgender trailblazer's character is the cousin/confidante of 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, who eventually became the callous autocratic ruler (Donald Sutherland) of the Capitol and all of Panem.In Suzanne Collins' 2020 novel, the once wealthy Snow family are surviving on boiled cabbage and old outgrown clothes while living in an apartment they can't afford after their factory in District 13 was destroyed. New gig! Euphoria star Hunter Schafer has reportedly been cast as Tigris Snow in Lionsgate's prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (pictured April 20)Billy the Kid action star Tom Blyth will play Coriolanus, who's assigned to mentor District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (West Side Story's Rachel Zegler) as she competes in the 10th annual Hunger Games.The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - hitting US/UK theaters November 17, 2023 - will be directed by Grammy winner Francis Lawrence who previously helmed Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part One, and Mockingjay Part Two.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“Euphoria” star Hunter Schafer has joined the cast of Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”She will appear opposite Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler in the studio’s attempt to recapture that old Panem magic. Schafer will play Tigris Snow, the cousin and confidante of Coriolanus Snow (Blyth), who, “Hunger Games” fans know, will one day mature into the autocratic ruler of the dystopian world of the books and films, a leader who has just a dollop of psychopathy to go along with his suave demeanor.“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” debuts in theaters worldwide on November 17, 2023.

EXCLUSIVE: The ensemble cast of Lionsgate’s prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes keeps growing, and we’ve heard first that Nick Benson, Laurel Marsden, Lilly Cooper, Luna Steeples and Hiroki Berrecloth are joining the Francis Lawrence directed title opposite Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler and Josh Andrés Rivera.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorDNEG, a U.K.-based visual effects and animation house whose customers include Netflix and major Hollywood film studios, has called off plans to go public amid the broad global slump in financial markets.In January, DNEG had announced plans to merge with Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in a deal valuing the company at $1.7 billion. The duo had previously expected that to close in the first half of 2022.On Thursday, the companies announced the termination of the agreement as a result of “current unfavorable SPAC market conditions” and other factors.

The casting for the upcoming Hunger Games prequel is taking shape.On Wednesday, it was announced that West Side Story actor Josh Andrés Rivera had officially joined the cast of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, according to The Wrap.This latest casting comes just over two weeks after it was revealed that Rivera's West Side Story co-starRachel Zegler, who also just happens to be his real-life girlfriend, had been hired to play Lucy Gray in the upcoming dystopian film. New role: West Side Story actor Josh Andrés Rivera, 27, has been added to the cast of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, which is the fifth installment in The Hunger Games film franchiseForthe fifth installment in the Hunger Games film series, Rivera will play the role of Sejanus Plinth, who's the mentor to a tribute from District 2 and a close friend of young Coriolanus Snow, who will be played by Tom Blyth.'Loyalties will be tested,' it began in the caption on the film franchise's official Instagram page, before posting, 'Josh Andrés Rivera has been cast as Sejanus Plinth in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – arriving in theaters November 2023.' In the movie, Coriolanus Snow not only mentors but also develops feelings for the female District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games.'Never been prouder of someone in my life lemme tell you,' Zegler, 21, wrote on her Instagram Story, along with a red heart emoji, when she shared the news of her boyfriend being hired for The Hunger Games prequel that being directed by Francis Lawrence.

Josh Andrés Rivera will be returning to work with his West Side Story star Rachel Zegler in Lionsgate’s growing ensemble prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 

played by Tom Blyth. Jerome Lance will play Marcus, a tribute from the dystopian world’s District 2.Mackenzie Lansing will play Coral, a tribute from District 4.Knox Gibson will play Bobbin, tribute from District 8.Aamer Husain will play Ravinstill, mentor to a tribute from District 11.Ashley Liao will play Clemensia Dovecoat, a close friend of Coriolanus and mentor to a tribute from District 11.As previously announced, Rachel Zegler will play Lucy Gray Baird, the impoverished District 12 tribute that Coriolanus is assigned to mentor. Lucy is an orphan and a singer, who wows her mentor and eventually, viewers across Panem, with her impressive voice — before proving in the Games that she's even more cunning than she seems.In a press release about Blythe's casting, the studio described protagonist Coriolanus as such: «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.

EXCLUSIVE: We have learned that Lionsgate’s prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has landed its first round of tribute and mentor characters in the Francis Lawrence directed film.

Lionsgate is starting its engines for The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, the highly anticipated Hunger Games prequel coming November 17, 2023.

prequel film, Lionsgate announced on Monday that star Rachel Zegler has been cast in a lead role, and will play Lucy Gray Baird in the upcoming, Francis Lawrence-directed adaptation of the latest novel by franchise author Suzanne Collins.Zegler joins Tom Blyth in the film, who was previously cast to play the young Coriolanus Snow, who mentors Lucy in the 10th Hunger Games, many years before he evolves into the Capitol's sinister President Snow. The female tribute from District 12, Lucy is an orphan and a singer, who wows her mentor and eventually, viewers across Panem, with her impressive voice — before proving in the Games that she's even more cunning than she seems.“Like everybody, I first saw Rachel Zegler in  and like everybody, I knew I was watching a star who would command the screen for a generation,” said Lawrence in the press release announcing her casting. «Lucy Gray is a perfect match for her as an actress: the character is bold, independent, and defiant, but also vulnerable, emotional, and loving.

Move over, Jennifer Lawrence: the “Hunger Games” films have a new star. With a movie version of the series prequel, “The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes,” set for a November 2023 release date, Lionsgate has that film’s female lead.

More casting is warming up for the highly anticipated prequel to Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games –The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. This morning, it’s been announced that West Side Story Maria actress Rachel Zegler is joining the Francis Lawrence directed movie in the lead female role of Lucy Gray Baird. She joins recently announced Tom Blyth who’s playing the young Coriolanus Snow, that role made famous by Donald Sutherland in the original trilogy.

Universal Pictures has acquired the action-comedy spec Shots! Shots! Shots! penned by Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows (The Package), with Jason Momoa (Dune) coming aboard to star.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorNetflix signed a multiyear services renewal with VFX and animation company DNEG, under which the streamer expects to spend at least $350 million with the company through 2025.The non-exclusive agreement covers the provision of visual effects and virtual production services by DNEG for Netflix series and movies through September 2025. The new deal extends and expands on a previous agreement that the companies signed in September 2020.Under the agreement, Netflix has agreed to assign projects to DNEG worth a minimum of $350 million of its services over the term, “which may be increased if certain project award milestones are achieved,” DNEG disclosed in a regulatory filing.DNEG is working with Netflix on a number of upcoming projects, including “Stranger Things” Season 4; Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out 2”; fantasy action-dramas “The School for Good and Evil” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender”; origin story “The Witcher: Blood Origin”; and upcoming fantasy comedy-adventure “Slumberland” from director Francis Lawrence.

Visual effects and animation firm DNEG has extended its deal with Netflix through 2025.

Tom Blyth, who stars in Epix’s Western series Billy the Kid, has been cast as the young Coriolanus Snow The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Lionsgate’s upcoming adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ latest installment in her bestselling YA series.

prequel film,, has found its young President Snow. Lionsgate announced on Monday that the studio has cast Tom Blyth as the young Coriolanus Snow in the highly anticipated prequel feature, based on the book of the same name by franchise author Suzanne Collins.Blyth, who currently stars as the titular outlaw on EPIX’s series, will play the future despot «years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem.»In a press release about the casting, the studio described the character as such: «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.

Lionsgate has found their young President Snow!

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterTom Blyth is headed to Panem. The actor, best known for “Billy the Kid” and “The Gilded Age,” has been cast as young President Coriolanus Snow in Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”The movie is based on the 2020 book of the same name, which is set decades before the exploits of Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games.” That means the beloved heroine, a role that propelled Jennifer Lawrence to superstardom, does not appear in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” which instead centers on the man (portrayed by Donald Sutherland in the original trilogy) who eventually becomes the tyrannical president of Panem.

we’ve known this for quite some time, but now studio bosses have confirmed it’s slated to hit cinemas in November 2023. Much like all the other movie news we’ve been welcomely bombarded with this week, an update on the film’s release date was unveiled during a presentation at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas on Thursday.Casting for the movie has yet to be confirmed, but film bosses revealed director Francis Lawrence, who directed the last three movies in the franchise, will return to helm the latest installment.The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be based on the latest book by The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins which was released last year.The story is set years before the events of the first films and follows a young Coriolanus Snow, who was played by Donald Sutherland in the OG Hunger Games films.In the original movies, Snow was the cruel ruler of Panem, but in the prequel, he will be seen mentoring a young tribute in the 10th Hunger Games.He is assigned District 12 tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, who gains attention by singing during the reaping.In the book, the games are disrupted when one of the mentors, Arachne Crane, is murdered by her tribute, while Snow is later accused of cheating and stealing food.The Hunger Games films starred Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, with Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy.The first film was released in 2012, and spawned three sequels which concluded with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 in 2015.The Hunger Games remains one of the most successful franchises in cinema history grossing a staggering $2.9 billion (£2.3 billion) collectively.

Lionsgate is returning to the dystopian world of Panem, issuing a release date for The Hunger Games prequel A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.The studios revealed during their Thursday CinemaCon presentation that the prequel will be released on November 17, 2023, via Deadline.Francis Lawrence, who directed the final three Hunger Games movies, will return to direct, though no cast members have been attached yet. Prequel:Lionsgate is returning to the dystopian world of Panem, issuing a release date for The Hunger Games prequel A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Prequel:The studios revealed during their Thursday CinemaCon presentation that the prequel will be released on November 17, 2023, via DeadlineThe movie will be adapted from the 2020 novel by The Hunger Games creator Suzanne Collins, set decades before the original novels and movies.The story follows an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, several years before he became the ruler of Panem, who was played by Donald Sutherland in the movie trilogy.