Rachel cast as Lucy in Hunger Games prequel

CHENNAI: Rachel Zegler of West Side Story fame is set to star in The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Zegler had prompted speculation about her casting after she tweeted on Monday night: “Listen up, can y’all grow restfully? are you becoming an individual resting decisively?” (sic). As eagle-eyed fans pointed out, the first letter of each word in her tweet spells out the main character’s name, Lucy Gray Baird.

The movie is being adapted from Suzanne Collins’ 2020 book of the same name, which takes place decades before Katniss Everdeen’s adventures in The Hunger Games.

That means Jennifer Lawrence, who shot to superstardom as the Girl on Fire, does not appear in the prequel story.

Instead, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes centres on Coriolanus Snow, an ambitious boy who eventually becomes the tyrannical leader of the dystopian country of Panem.

As previously announced, Tom Blyth will play the young Snow. In the upcoming movie, 18-year-old Snow is chosen to mentor Lucy Gray, the female tribute from the impoverished District 12, during the 10th Hunger Games.

As introduced in The Hunger Games trilogy, which were developed into four feature films, the barbaric televised event randomly selects two teenagers from each district to fight to the death.