Hunger Games: Unanswered Questions The President Snow Prequel Movie Can Answer

The upcoming Hunger Games prequel movie can answer some lingering mysteries from Katniss Everdeen’s story. After Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy became a literary sensation, it was only a matter of time until the YA dystopian world of Panem found its way to the big screen. Across 4 movies between 2012 and 2015, Katniss and her moody pals dominated the big screen, despite later films in the series attracting a more mixed reception. So enduring is The Hunger Games‘ popularity, Collins announced she was writing a fourth book in June 2019.

Titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and set to release in May 2020, the new book will be a prequel set during the Tenth Hunger Games, and will star an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, the arch villain from the original Hunger Games story. According to the original release announcement, Collins worked closely with Lionsgate during the writing of her new novel, and a movie adaptation was only ever a matter of time. Lionsgate have now confirmed production on the Hunger Games prequel movie with original director, Francis Lawrence, returning to the franchise.

While some fans have spoken out against remolding the irredeemable President Snow into a protagonist, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has an opportunity to expand on some of The Hunger Games‘ biggest mysteries. Here are all the big questions President Snow’s prequel could answer.

What Lies Outside Of Panem?

One of the biggest points both the book and movie variations of The Hunger Games failed to address was the state of the world outside of Panem. In Suzanne Collins’ dystopian future, Panem is essentially the new United States, and is ruthlessly led by the evil Capitol. Official word from Panem’s government states that life outside of the country no longer exists due to nuclear war, but as sources of information go, the Capitol are far from reliable.

Surely some vestige of society exists outside of The Hunger Games‘ main setting. But is Europe and the rest of the world under similarly oppressive, secretive rule, or is the world outside of Panem a utopia, free from war, famine and poverty? If the latter proves to be true, why were the heinous crimes being committed by the Capitol ignored? While a sequel might be in a better position to answer these questions than The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the prequel’s closer proximity to the formation of the Capitol might shine some light on the mystery, or perhaps a character from the outside will feature in the story itself.

How Did The U.S. Become A Dictatorship?

Returning focus once more to the isolated state of Panem, what on earth happened to turn the former United States into the Capitol-led totalitarian regime seen in The Hunger Games? Collins’ original story alludes to climate change, natural disasters and nuclear war almost decimating humanity, only for Panem to rise from the ashes. Although there’s undoubtedly a grain of truth in the root causes of the U.S.A’s downfall, this is a Capitol-sanitized account filtered through characters born decades after the events in question took place.

As a prequel, characters in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will have a fresher perspective on how the Capitol was formed, and might be able to reveal the truth behind the country’s abandoning of democracy. Since Snow is a member of Panem’s elite, he’s also more likely to have knowledge of the true history than anyone of the main characters from the original Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins already drew inspiration from the real-world by including nuclear war and environmental disaster in her original novels, and it’ll be interesting to see if she delves into those themes further to explain this missing period of Hunger Games history.

How Did Snow Rise To Power?

Many Hunger Games fans aren’t especially enthusiastic about Snow’s leading role in the prequel, but at least some major questions about the character will almost certainly be answered. Regarding President Snow’s backstory, Collins has already revealed that the Snow family were once a powerful, rich force within Panem, but their influence had faded by the time Coriolanus was a teenager. Fast-forward to the timeline of the main story, however, and Snow is an omnipotent ruler. One of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ biggest priorities will be to explain how the villain manages to worm his way into a position of power.

Snow’s backstory might also pave the way for other big Hunger Games answers. If the Snow family were once powerful, they likely had a hand in the formation of the Capitol, and this could help explain the very beginnings of Panem. It could even be the uncovering of these secrets that Snow uses to leverage himself into an influential position in the upcoming prequel. Finally, could the historic downfall of the Snow family be in some way connected to the First Rebellion?

The Link Between President Snow & White Roses

In the original Hunger Games story, President Snow is synonymous with roses, white-colored variations in particular. These flowers perform several fuctions; Snow uses them to hide to stench of blood on his breath, caused by his regular ingesting of poison, but the roses also have a metaphorical purpose, representing the President’s outward disguise of beauty, elegance and grace, hiding an almighty thorn underneath. But it would be surprising if there wasn’t a deeper connection between Snow and white roses. So fond of the flower is this otherwise evil character, there must be a significance from earlier life that gives a new perspective to Snow’s rose obsession. It’ll be interesting to see if the 18-year-old snow is already interested in the flowers when his story begins, or whether the link is established within the prequel itself.

How Did The First Rebellion Start?

The First Rebellion or “Dark Days” are a murky period in Hunger Games lore, with very little currently known about the failed uprising. The original story revealed that, many years prior, the various Districts had united against the Capitol, but their attempts were quashed with the apparent “destruction” of District 13, who had been leading the charge. Since only 10 years have passed between the Dark Days and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, those uncharted events should still be fresh in the minds of most characters, and the prequel could give a much stronger insight into what the first rebellion was like.

While the reasons behind the collapse of the rebellion have been mostly covered, the trigger remains to be seen. It goes without saying that the Districts were probably unhappy living in the Capitol’s shadow, but their suffering was nothing compared to what Katniss and her contemporaries were forced to endure, with the Hunger Games not yet invented. The origins of the First Rebellion could prove a worthy area of exploration in Snow’s upcoming movie.

Where Did The “Hunger Games” Name Come From?

“The Hunger Games” isn’t only a strange name for a YA novel series, but also an odd thing to call a teenage battle royal where all but one of the tributes die. At a basic level, the name could be interpreted as a nod to the hunger those competing in the games will undoubtedly feel, as well as those back home watching from the respective districts. It could also be argued that “Hunger Games” derives from the same Latin “bread and circuses” quote that inspired the name “Panem.” But not only is this mere speculation, it also feels like fairly weak reasoning for such a striking title.

Since The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes covers only the 10th ever Hunger Games, there’s a strong chance the origins of the name could be explored in more detail. It has been stated previously that the Games became deadlier over the years in order to increase viewership, so perhaps the name came about because the early tournaments were more about survival and scavenging in the wild than trying to kill the other tributes.

Why Are The Hunger Games Are So Important?

Panem makes no secret about why the Hunger Games happen. Serving as a reminder to the Districts not to rise up in rebellion, while also keeping their morale and resources in check, the Games are a device of oppression and a source of entertainment for the rich. But could there have been a deeper motivation that the original story didn’t reveal? After all, an elaborate annual battle royal seems like quite a theatrical, excessive and expensive method of keeping a population in check, and there’s a missing piece of the Hunger Games puzzle as to why this particular tradition began.

Once again, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes takes place far closer to the original conception of the Games, and this offers an opportunity to dive into the mindsets and motivations of those who came up with the idea. With Snow part of the Capitol, he’d be more likely to hear the true reasoning behind the event’s establishment, and may even personally know some of the people responsible for inventing it. It’s also worth noting that President Snow’s insistence that the Hunger Games progress according to his machinations eventually leads to his downfall, while scrapping the tournament after Katniss and Peeta’s controversial win could’ve saved his reign. Was there a reason Snow had no choice but to continue with the Hunger Games tradition? The Hunger Games prequel could completely turn fan perception of the franchise on its head by revealing a hidden reason for Panem’s bloodiest, most twisted tradition.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3630 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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