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Dystopian action film “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” is set for nationwide release in China this week.
The Chinese premiere of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” is held in Beijing.
Director Francis Lawrence told the audience via video at the film’s China premiere on Tuesday in Beijing, that “this time, the game goes to another level, and the fate between mentor and tribute is inseparable.”
The theme song “Can’t Catch Me Now,” performed by Olivia Rodrigo, was also played before the screening started.
Taking place 64 years before the first film, the storyline reveals the events that propel 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow toward becoming the tyrannical leader of Panem. This includes his connection with Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from the impoverished District 12, during the 10th Hunger Games.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” is based on the 2020 novel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins. It serves as a prequel to “The Hunger Games” (2012) and is the fifth installment in the film series.
The movie stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera and Viola Davis. It is set to open on Nov. 17, simultaneously with North American and many other global markets.
According to Box Office Mojo, the previous four installments of the franchise, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, all secured a release in China, where they grossed more than $113 million in total.
Reports say the films have so far grossed over $2.97 billion worldwide.
Source: China.org.cn