Next month sees the return of “The Hunger Games” franchise with “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” a prequel set decades before the events of the four-film main saga.
The original films wrapped their run eight years ago so it’s not clear if the audience is still interested in the franchise. If it does prove a hit though, it begs the obvious question as to whether there’ll be more stories in this world.
Francis Lawrence has directed every film in the series bar the original and, speaking with EW recently, he was asked about the potential of making more movies set within this universe.
Specifically, the possibilities of films focused on fan-favorite characters like Finnick (Sam Claflin) and Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) came up. He says it’s up to author Suzanne Collins:
“I liked being part of the series originally because the stories are great. But what was always gratifying was that they were always about something. Suzanne [Collins] always writes from a thematic foundation.
The original ones were all about the consequences of war. [‘Songbirds and Snakes’ is] about the state of nature. That’s what makes them feel rich and not superficial, and I think it’s why they’ve stood the test of time, honestly.
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?”
Earlier this year, franchise veteran Jennifer Lawrence revealed to the trades she’d be up for returning to the Katniss role.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” opens in theaters November 17th.
