Mumbai: Is there going to be a prequel to a prequel? After building a billion-dollar franchise, it comes as no surprise that Francis Lawrence, the director of the cult-favorite The Hunger Games knows exactly what the fans want. From prequels around Finnick (Sam Claflin) and Haymitch’s (Woody Harrelson) games to a possible sixth film, the pleas are heard by both the filmmaker and the author, Suzzane Collins. With The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes set to release worldwide on 17 November, the excitement around is palpable. As audiences gear up to witness the rise of the tyrannical President Snow, the odds just might be in their favor!

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Francis Lawrence opened up about the possibility of a prequel, he said, "If Suzanne has another thematic idea that she feels fits into the world of Panem — whether that's with new people [or] familiar characters [like] Finnick, Haymitch, whoever — I'd be really interested in looking at it and being a part of it. But I don't have any pull of just going, 'I would love to do Finnick's games.' He's a great character, but what's the thematic underpinnings that make it worth telling and relevant?"

Comparing Katniss and Snow’s love stories, Lawrence also said in the same interview, "[Katniss'] draw to Peeta is this shared trauma. You go through an experience together and feel more understood by that person than anybody else. It's the same here. There's this mutual need [between Coriolanus and Lucy]. He needs her to win and survive so he wins. She needs him to help her win and survive so she survives. There's manipulation on both sides."

Lionsgate and PVRINOX Pictures will release The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in theaters in India on 17 November 2023.