When it comes to The Hunger Games, we think that anyone would want to be a part of the franchise. It’s launched a lot of careers, but in the same breathe, there’s been plenty that it’s done nothing extraordinary for.
Life is complicated that way.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the next movie in the franchise. It’s a prequel and one that we have to admit that we’re looking forward to.
Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray Baird, turned down the role at first. She was on the Happy Sad Confused with Josh Horowitz and talked about what happened.
“Let me tell you, because this is such an embarrassing story for me,” she said. “I was offered it in January of last year, after wanting it so badly. I didn’t audition, it was just, I got a call from my agent that was like, ‘Francis Lawrence wants you to do this,’ and I met with him for like three hours at the Soho Hotel in London, and then he told me that they were filming in Germany and in Poland.”
“I had just gotten to London and I wanted to disappear, because I was so far away from home for the first time ever and I was away from everybody that I knew and loved. And I said, ‘No,’” she continued. “I regretted it the second I said it. I had another project lined up that fell through, that got pushed into 2023, and I just kind of put my name back into the mix and got it.”
We were surprised that she turned down the role but we’re glad she put her name back in the mix. We definitely can’t wait to see The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.