People Are Not Pleased the ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Will Be a President Snow Origin Story

For years, Hunger Games fans patiently awaited news about a next book. When author Suzanne Collins announced the forthcoming prequel nearly a decade after the series’ debut, readers were ecstatic. No specific plot information was mentioned at the time but we knew it would go back in time to Panem’s tenth annual Hunger Games and explore the apocalyptic event that caused the downfall of the previous government.

Accordingly, many Hunger Games fanatics had their ideas about who the story’s main character would be…and most of them were majorly let down when today it was announced that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will center on President Coriolanus Snow.

In case you don’t remember, President Snow is more antagonist than protagonist. Played by Donald Sutherland in the films, he’s basically the biggest villain in the entire series.

Entertainment Weekly revealed more insight into the young Snow’s character, calling him “a teenager born to privilege but searching for something more, a far cry from the man we know he will become. Here, he’s friendly. He’s charming. And, for now anyway, he’s a hero.” Another story about a privileged Caucasian man’s rise to power. Joy. 

The general consensus has been one of confusion and, in some cases, very big ain’t-nobody-got-time-for-that energy. Take, for example, these Twitter reactions.  

Some, like Twitter user @Cassiansnesta, were purely confused. 

Others felt totally let down.

And some were quick to blame a certain critically-acclaimed villain-centered movie that crushed the 2019 box office (ahem, Joker). 

To be fair, the prequel could center more on how one evolves from “a hero” into a villain, as opposed to a glorification of President Snow (the most hated man in the franchise). 

We’ll just have to wait and see when the novel drops on May 19. Until then, you can preorder it on Amazon for $17…if you want.