‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ Receives SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement for Cast Promotion

‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds‘ cast, including Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Hunter Schafer, Viola Davis, and Peter Dinklage, can now promote the film with a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.

The reason for the last-minute agreement before ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ release is unknown, but it may help pull audiences to theaters for Thanksgiving. The film, costing $100 million, is the first in the franchise in eight years and the first without Jennifer Lawrence.

Zegler posted a thank-you statement on Instagram after the interim agreement news.

Zegler wrote, “I am so beyond thankful to Lionsgate and SAG-AFTRA for working so hard throughout this strike to come to an agreement, allowing us to participate in press and promotion for our film, which comes to theaters on November 17. Lionsgate’s efforts are proof that studios, big and small, can meet us in a place of fairness for their films and the people who work so hard to make them.

Making this movie was hands-down one of the best experiences of my life thus far. I cannot wait to share more behind-the-scenes content with you all, the fans, who make experiences like this eight million times better. There will be lots of all of my beautiful friends from the cast, as well as appreciation for our crew, which is filled with people I love so deeply. So watch this space! There’s more to come.

Swipe for me staring at my boyfriend, who is absolutely eating up the camera. It’s our anniversary today, so it only felt right to share this photo as well. I love you, honey! Can not believe i get to say this, with only a few weeks to spare, but… see you out there on our press tour!”

According to the film’s plot, Young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth), who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family, has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.

Francis Lawrence directs from a screenplay by Michael Arndt and Michael Lesslie based on Suzanne Collins’ 2020 novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The film also stars Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom, Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow, Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Burn Gorman as Commander Hoff, Fionnula Flanagan as Grandma’am, Ashley Liao as Clemensia Dovecote, Max Raphael as Festus Creed, Zoe Renée as Lysistrata Vickers, Nick Benson as Jessup, Isobel Jesper Jones as Mayfair Lipp, Dakota Shapiro as Billy Taupe, Vaughan Reilly as Maude Ivory, and Honor Gillies as Barb Azure. Watch the trailer below.

‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ will hit theaters on November 17, 2023, by Lionsgate.