Tom Blyth listened to “Money Power Glory” by Lana Del Rey whereas taking pictures The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes. Meanwhile, costar Rachel Zegler had Joan Baez on her HG prequel playlist. All of it filtered into the artistic combine, serving to the actors keep grounded of their characters, and convey the extremely anticipated Hunger Games prequel movie to life.
The action-adventure drama, directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1), and written by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt, hits theaters November 17. The plot, which unfolds 64 years earlier than Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and a long time earlier than Coriolanus Snow turned the tyrannical President of Panem, additionally stars Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), Josh Andrés Rivera (West Side Story), Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City), and Viola Davis (Fences, The Woman King).
In a current moderated press convention we attended, Blyth and Zegler shared extra concerning the huge manufacturing, what they wished to carry to their roles, and a lot extra. Dive into this MovieWeb unique, and you may watch the complete press convention above.
Tom Blyth on Playing a Younger Coriolanus
It’s been eight years since The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 bowed, and followers have been eagerly awaiting a prequel. The buzz grew when Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel dropped in 2020. Then got here information that Billy the Kid’s Tom Blyth would play a youthful model of Coriolanus Snow, the function Donald Sutherland so completely embodied within the unique movies. Here, the youthful Snow should mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. Soon, their fates are intertwined, and Snow sees a golden alternative to change their destinies.
“I used to be an enormous fan of the unique movies,” Blyth informed journalists, including:
The a part of Coriolanus was an absolute dream come true as a result of as a fan of these unique movies, watching what Donald Sutherland did with him, was deliciously evil. Then to rewind the historical past tapes and take a look at why he turned like that, and query his morality, was an absolute dream as an actor.
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As for the way or if Sutherland’s character and magnificence from the sooner movies knowledgeable him on the best way to play youthful Coriolanus, Blyth mentioned:
“I needed to chorus myself from happening the rabbit gap watching all these films once more and watching his efficiency once more. Obviously the primary intuition I had was to try to recreate it one way or the other, or to nod to it in a savvy method. But the factor is, that is by no means going to be slick. Everyone’s going to be like, ‘It feels such as you’re copying a efficiency that has already been nice.’”
Very early on, he needed to put all that apart. He labored carefully with director Francis Lawrence about making the character his personal within the dystopian drama. He mentioned by the top of the film, Coriolanus is completely completely different due to his relationship with Lucy, and due to his relationship to the Capitol generally.
“I feel what followers are drawn to is seeing that he is not only one factor,” Blyth defined. “He finally ends up as a tyrant, however 64 years earlier than that, he was one thing else completely. And the fascinating half is seeing what he goes by way of to get there. I preserve saying, I hope that by the top of the movie, you see three distinct Coriolanus’ — Coriolanus the boy, Coriolanus who’s turning into a person, and Coriolanus Snow, the longer term president. Hopefully, you see his physique and his voice change with that.”
Related: The Hunger Games | The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Review: Grim Prequel to an Already-Grim Story
Rachel Zegler Sees Some Katniss in Lucy
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Rachel Zegler, who garnered a Golden Globe for her function as Maria in West Side Story, mentioned she learn all of Collins’ books and noticed all of the Hunger Game films. When the prequel e book was revealed in 2020, she mentioned:
I beloved that Suzanne was including onto this story that I beloved a lot. When I came upon that there is this brown-haired lady who beloved to sing from District 12, I obtained so excited on the prospect of attending to do one thing like that.
She started imagining the chance to star as Lucy, and when the time got here to casting the movie, she mentioned, “Francis referred to as my agent and mentioned that I used to be his prime decide to play the half. I used to be so humbled and honored.” Watching Jennifer Lawrence’s efficiency within the unique trilogy was like watching a “masterclass in efficiency,” she shortly famous. When it got here to approaching the character of Lucy Gray, she realized that the character is a war-torn teenager who’s had all the pieces ripped from her, but she’s nonetheless making the most effective of it.
“It was similar to Katniss in that perspective,” Zegler shared, “however she has a really completely different dynamic in response to being positioned in an enviornment in entrance of individuals and having to make the world root for her. She’s superb at that. She’s very persuasive in her efficiency and superb at getting an viewers on her aspect. I do suppose that there is components of Katniss inside her,” she added.
It makes it all of the extra enjoyable watching the unique trilogy and seeing how Coriolanus stays haunted by Lucy Gray, even in his late life, as a result of there are echoes of her inside Katniss Everdeen.
Why Rachel Zegler Sang Live On Set
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Rachel Zegler is not any stranger to singing. She was elegant in West Side Story and right here, she wished to carry one thing distinctive to the character of Lucy, who performs in entrance of individuals within the movie. “It was my option to sing dwell on set. I had completed it earlier than on my first movie and I really feel actually assured in that sphere of efficiency, generally. That was what I sort of got here out of the womb doing on stage. So, getting to do this for my friends and on set for the crew and artistic crew was one thing actually particular I may carry to the desk.”
Related: Upcoming Rachel Zegler Movies to Look Out For
She shortly identified how audiences know the distinction between lip-syncing and precise singing:
“I felt blessed that Francis trusted me to do this and that I obtained to carry that into the acoustics of The Hob or the Reaping Stage [in the film] . I do not need to spoil what Lucy Gray will get to sing, nevertheless it simply provides a totally completely different tone to the scenes. I used to be actually necessary, not solely to me, but in addition to the character, and I’d be doing a disservice if I did not carry out dwell each take. And it was very strenuous, however I skilled to do it and I felt assured with the result. I hope audiences do, too.”
Hunger Games Banter and Playlists
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The total manufacturing took many months to movie and far to coordinate, with intensive artwork path, costumes, and set designs. So, how did the actors blow off steam then hop again into their roles? Music playlists helped. When requested what music the solid listened to on set, Zegler singled out “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” however the Joan Baez model. “Because,” she mentioned, “that is actually a Lucy Gray kind vibe, the place she’s simply sort of like, ‘You simply ruined my life, nevertheless it’s okay.’”
As for Tom Blyth, he admitted he had an in depth Coriolanus playlist. “Music’s an enormous method in for me,” he defined. “’Money Power Glory’ by Lana Del Rey is the primary tune on the playlist. Then it goes to “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles, as a result of that tune, since I used to be a child, simply made me really feel kooky and loopy. It feels unhinged. So, when Coriolanus undergoes his transformation, that was an enormous one. Then it’s like, all the best way to Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyrie” when Coriolanus is feeling epic and like royalty. So, it goes all over.”
So will pleasure from the followers. Experience The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, from Lionsgate Films, in theaters November 17. You can try the trailer under.
First seem at Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth on Their Hunger Games Characters and the Music They Needed for the Prequel
