Director Francis Lawrence returns to the Hunger Games franchise to helm the prequel film "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." Set 64 years before the events of the original series, this new installment explores the history of the young Coriolanus Snow before he becomes the infamous President Snow. Lawrence discusses the unique challenges of adapting the prequel, including its stripped-down version of the Hunger Games, thematic depth, and the decision not to split the film into two parts despite its lengthy running time. He expresses a preference for delivering a complete experience to audiences in one film rather than separating the narrative as was done with "Mockingjay."

The film delves into Snow's character evolution from someone the audience may empathize with, to the villain they recognize from the other films. Lawrence speaks about casting choices, including Viola Davis as Dr. Gaul and Tom Blyth as young Snow. He also addresses comedic elements brought by Jason Schwartzman's character, Lucky Flickerman, noting an extensive amount of improvised material that could make for entertaining additional content.

Lawrence also touches upon his upcoming project - a film adaptation of the video game "BioShock." He discusses his attraction to the game's rich thematic content and dense mythology, along with the opportunity to bring the underwater city of Rapture to life. Development on the BioShock film encountered some delays due to a writers' strike but is moving forward again.

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is slated to release on November 17 with high anticipation from fans of the franchise.