Viola Davis Dials Up Dread For Rachel Zegler In 'Hunger Games' Prequel Trailer

Viola Davis brings villainous vigor to the trailer for Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes . (Watch the video below.)

The preview , which dropped Thursday, highlights the Oscar winner in the role of Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul.

See how quickly we become predator? she says. See how quickly civilization disappears?

That doesnt bode well for new franchise lead Rachel Zegler s Lucy Gray Baird, one of the chosen children fighting to the death decades before Jennifer Lawrences Katniss Everdeen kicked butt.

Zeglers character must deal with a mentor the future evil President Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), who informs Snow that your role is to turn these children into spectacles, not survivors.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is slated for a Nov. 17 release, eight years after the previous Hunger Games movie premiered. Together, the four earlier films based on Suzanne Collins book series have grossed nearly $3 billion at the box office worldwide.

","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Lionsgate Movies","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ6nMHaJPZvsJ-HmUmj1SeA","cache_age":86400,"description":"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes In Theaters November 17, 2023. Starring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrs Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis. \n\nText 717-THG-MKJY to enter the games.\n\nSubscribe to the LIONSGATE YouTube Channel for the latest movie trailers, clips, and more: https://bit.ly/2Z6nfym \n\nhttps://www.lionsgate.com/franchises/...\nhttps://www.facebook.com/TheHungerGam...\nhttps://www.instagram.com/thehungergames\nhttps://twitter.com/thehungergames\nhttps://www.tiktok.com/@lionsgate\n\nExperience the story of THE HUNGER GAMES 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem.\n \nTHE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Grays charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.\n\nLionsgate presents, a Color Force / Lionsgate / about:blank production.","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RDE6Uz73A7g/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) Official Trailer","type":"video","url":"https://action.news/watch?v=RDE6Uz73A7g","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"644bba4de4b04997b57758f1","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/hunger-games-prequel-ballad-songbirds-snakes-trailer_n_644bba4de4b04997b57758f1","entryTagsList":"viola-davis,hunger-games,rachel-zegler","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":"entertainment","sectionRedirectUrl":"https://action.news/entertainment","subcategories":"tv","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/8062c3e2-864e-4647-a15e-0b7f333e32b0/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":9},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"644bba4de4b04997b57758f1","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Viola Davis","slug":"viola-davis","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/viola-davis","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/viola-davis","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/viola-davis"},"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Viola Davis","slug":"viola-davis","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/viola-davis"},{"name":"hunger games","slug":"hunger-games","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/hunger-games","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/hunger-games","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/hunger-games"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/hunger-games"},{"name":"rachel zegler","slug":"rachel-zegler","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/rachel-zegler","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/rachel-zegler","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/rachel-zegler"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/rachel-zegler"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">