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Francis Lawrence joins Kyle Meredith to chat about his new film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Starring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, the film serves as an origin story for the villainous Coriolanus Snow, taking place 64 years before the Jennifer Lawrence-starring run of the story.
“I think the trick was making sure that we created a character that we could get the audience behind, that we could the audience rooting for, and that we could get the audience empathizing with up front,” says Lawrence. “We have to, though, at the same time, make sure we have the breadcrumbs in there of his need for ambition, his need for tower, the greed… the darkness that’s within. You have to understand that that stuff’s there so when you get to the end and you see him go dark, which is very satisfying, that you believe it.”
Lawrence, who also helmed the previous three entries in the saga, goes on to discuss the increased prominence of music (including the origins of “The Hanging Tree”), working with Dave Cobb to bring the songs to life, and utilizing Zegler’s musical background. He also touches on the greater social and political themes that serve as the film’s undercurrent, and reveals that there are “hours” of extra footage of Jason Schwartzman’s time in front of the camera.
Listen to Francis Lawrence discuss The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and more above or via YouTube below. Please also take a moment to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.
