There Could Be More ‘Hunger Games’ Films — On One Condition (Exclusive)

Is the Hunger Games team hungry for more? It depends. Director Francis Lawrence adapted the second and third books in author Suzanne Collins' best-selling trilogy, resulting in Catching Fire, Mockingjay — Part 1 and Mockingjay — Part 2. With the 2015 release of Part 2, Lawrence believed the series was complete, until Collins surprised him in 2019 with the news of an impending prequel book, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Released Friday, the big screen version of Songbirds & Snakes tells the origin story of Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow, the future president of Panem and the main antagonist of the first four films. Tom Blyth steps in for Donald Sutherland as young Snow, who is introduced as the head of a once proud family and sees his role as a mentor during the 10th annual Hunger Games as an opportunity to return the Snow name to prominence.

In his nearly three-hour film, Lawrence fully adapts Collins' lengthy novel. And yet, despite a decade-plus spent on the Hunger Games and sequel plans for his other films, the filmmaker is open to returning (as is Jennifer Lawrence) — on a single condition.

"I would do another one again in a second, but it all has to come from Suzanne," Lawrence tells The Messenger. "She writes based on themes and comes up with something she wants to write about. It's usually very relevant, and then she figures out what the story's going to be in the world and gives its reason to exist. And so if she comes up with another one, I would love to read it and jump back in."

Read more of The Messenger's exclusive and expert Songbirds & Snakes content.