‘Hunger Games’ prequel comes to Showmax

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is streaming on Showmax from today (24 March 2025). The Hunger Games prequel, which released in cinemas in November 2023, completes Showmax’s collection of all five films in the dystopian action franchise.

The movie is set 64 years before the story of Katniss Everdeen. It explores the early days of the dangerous games and the forces that shaped the Capitol’s rule. The story follows Coriolanus Snow, a once-prominent Capitol youth whose family has fallen from grace after the First Rebellion.

Determined to reclaim his status, Coriolanus secures a prestigious role as a mentor in the 10th Hunger Games, assigned to Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12. As Snow guides Gray through the deadly competition, their fates become intertwined.

The film explores the introduction of mentors, the Games’ evolving brutality, and the political forces manipulating them behind the scenes. As Coriolanus navigates shifting alliances and his growing attachment to Lucy, he is forced to confront the cost of survival and ambition in a world where power comes at a price.

Cast and crew

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is directed by Francis Lawrence. The movie is based on Suzanne Collins’ novel of the same name.

The film features Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird. Peter Dinklage plays Casca Highbottom, the conflicted architect of the Games, while Jason Schwartzman takes on the role of Lucretius ‘Lucky’ Flickerman, the Games’ first host.

Hunter Schafer portrays Tigris, Coriolanus’ cousin and confidante, and Viola Davis stars as the ruthless Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the mastermind behind the Games’ expansion. Josh Andrés Rivera plays Sejanus Plinth, a wealthy student whose opposition to the Capitol’s cruelty sets off a dangerous chain of events.