Among the many success stories on the 2023 movie schedule to look back on, the return to The Hunger Games with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a major one. The prequel was a triumph, even beating out a Marvel title at the box office around Thanksgiving. What could come next after the one-off storyline centered around President Snow in his teen years? We have a couple of ideas for more prequels.
First, Francis Lawrence, who helmed most of the Hunger Games movies, including The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, spoke about the possibility of expanding on other characters' stories with EW. Here are his thoughts:
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?
It sounds like the filmmaker is very much on board with exploring the Hunger Games franchise, he just needs the greenlight from author Suzanne Collins. And, the characters Lawrence mentioned are actually the best picks for more prequels. Let’s break down why:
Why Haymitch Abernathy Deserves A Hunger Games Prequel
Woody Harrelson famously played Katniss and Peeta’s mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, during the games in the original series. The character was District 12’s second victor before The Girl on Fire came along, and based on what we know from the books/movies, there’s an interesting story to tell from his perspective.
He competed in the Hunger Games during the second Quarter Quell (the 50th games) at the age of 16, where the number of tributes chosen to compete was doubled. It was quite the eventful year in the games, between a volcanic eruption and Haymitch winning by slicing someone’s eye out. So yeah… we’d watch that.
Why Finnick Odair Is Also A Great Pick For A Spinoff
Then there’s Finnick Odair, who was portrayed by Sam Claflin in The Hunger Games movies starting with Catching Fire. His story would be an interesting change of pace from the others because he hails from District 4, one of the richer parts of Panem.
Prior to competing with Katniss and Peeta in the 3rd Quarter Quell, he won the games at the age of 14 a decade prior. Perhaps, the most scandalous thing about his story is the fact that he was sex trafficked by Snow after the games. All that leads to him being reunited with the love of his life Annie Cresta, whom he mentored five years after his win.
Sam Claflin has shared his thoughts on Finnick deserving better in the movies, and a prequel of his own could give the franchise a lot more time to simply focus on his story.
While these are the top two, there are more characters that we could see getting a prequel. It ultimately comes down to what Suzanne Collins decides she wants to do next with the franchise.
