Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Has 2 Big Hunger Games Hurdles To Overcome

The Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has to overcome two major challenges if it’s going to adapt the novel successfully.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes faces two major challenges in adapting the novel by Suzanne Collins. The book is a prequel to The Hunger Games and tells the story of a young Coriolanus Snow long before he became president of Panem. The story picks up not too long after the war with the districts and follows Snow as he and his classmates become the first set of mentors for the 10th Hunger Games. Collins deciding to tell Snow’s story was surprising given the Haymitch origin story she teased in Catching Fire, but she didn’t hold back. Instead of giving Snow a sympathetic backstory that justifies his future behavior in some way, she writes him in a sadly realistic tone.

However, that creates two major hurdles for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Snow’s unlikeable personality and The Hunger Games’ shadow. The film’s protagonist is famously a future villain, and in the new book, he’s ignorant at best. Books lose some of their weight when translated to the screen, and Snow’s story is one that could be dangerous if misinterpreted. So The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes needs changes to succeed. The film’s audience cannot read Snow’s mind, and depicting him purely as he presents himself wouldn’t be accurate. The sequel will need to find another way to incorporate his thoughts and perhaps elevate other characters’ roles to act as his foils by visibly highlighting his flaws.

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The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Has A Snow Problem

In the book, Snow is born and raised a prejudiced and entitled person, and it’s obvious he’s meant to be. However, if translated to the screen exactly, but without his thoughts, his story could come across as an attempt to sympathize with individuals like him. Snow is a terrible protagonist to follow because it’s difficult to sympathize with him, even in the book. To fix this, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes should include Lucy Gray’s perspective. It would not only be interesting to see Snow juxtaposed with Lucy Gray, but it would also give the audience someone to root for. Movies with a detestable protagonist have been made successfully before; however, it will be challenging.

The Hunger Games’ Shadow Looms Over Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes

The Hunger Games was a notable success for the dystopian YA book-to-film genre. However, suppose The Hunger Games prequel sticks to the source material. In that case, it will tell the story of the villain, future President Snow, a then-penniless, self-pitying member of the elite, as he steps over anyone he believes beneath him to get ahead, unlike The Hunger Games, which follows a destitute but compassionate young girl stuck in a system of oppression maintained and enforced by Snow. Needless to say, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is different from The Hunger Games, and some fans may not like the change because the sequel replaces a sympathetic heroine with an obvious enemy.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has the potential to be an intriguing statement on privilege. However, the story can quickly become offensive and difficult to watch because of the two challenges discussed. The book deals with complex topics like cannibalism, food insecurity, and the transparent metaphor for racism and classism. While Snow does struggle and clearly views himself as an underdog, it’s a stretch to compare his situation to the people in the districts. Even Snow’s romance with Lucy Gray and relationship with Sejanus, the only district people he seemingly approves of or tolerates, cannot redeem him. Consequently, The Hunger Games prequel may suffer for it.NEXT: What To Expect From The Hunger Games Prequel Movie