Hunger Games: Is Jennifer Lawrence in Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?

Lucy-Jo Finnighan
Jennifer Lawerence as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Jennifer Lawrence led the Hunger Games movies back in the early 2010s, but is she in the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?

In the early 2010s, the young adult dystopian genre permeated the book and movie worlds. One of the biggest and best successes to come from this time was The Hunger Games, set in a authoritarian USA – now called Panem – in which children are forced to kill or be killed in an arena.

The popular franchise- which catapulted lead actor Jennifer Lawrence to stardom – expanded in 2020 when author of the original books Suzanne Collins released a prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which will also be getting its own movie.

But will Lawrence, who played Mockingjay Katniss Everdeen, appear in the prequel movie? There have been many rumors, and the star recently made it public whether or not she was cameoing in Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Will Jennifer Lawrence cameo in the prequel movie?

No, it sadly seems like Jennifer Lawrence will not be appearing in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

While appearing on Watch What Happens Live, Lawrence addressed rumors by stating she would not be appearing, joking that Katniss – who was in her late teens – would not show up in a movie set over 40 years before the character was born: “Oh, because I’m 49 in Hollywood years, huh? No. That’s not true.”

Check out her full response below:

Lawrence has been busy enough these past few years, having recently starred in raunchy comedy No Hard Feelings. Plus, the film will no doubt lay the groundwork for Katniss’ Hunger Games, and subsequent revolution, so there’ll likely be a number of easter eggs foreshadowing Lawrence’s character.

In an interview with Dexerto, director Francis Lawrence even stated that he was nervous to do a movie without Katniss: “And I will say that I had some anxiety at that point about jumping into another Hunger Games without Katniss. But then I read the manuscript [of the original novel] at the beginning of 2020 when it was ready, and I just fell in love with the story, and then it was really easy to jump back in, and exciting.”

Click here to see if Donald Sutherland was in Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and check out the movie’s trailer below:

The official synopsis for the upcoming film is as follows: “Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.

“With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor.

“Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy Gray’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will drop in cinemas on November 17, 2023. Check out our other Hunger Games coverage below:

Related Topics

About The Author

Lucy-Jo is a Movies and TV Writer at Dexerto, and has previously written for Screen Rant and Girls on Tops. After earning a Master's Degree in Film and Literature, Lucy-Jo now loves covering films, TV shows, and anime, especially if it's something by Mike Flanagan, or anything drenched in camp. You can contact her at lucyjo.finnighan@dexerto.com