NICK BENSON, LAUREL MARSDEN, LILLY COOPER, LUNA STEEPLES, and HIROKI BERRECLOTH have joined the cast of Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes opposite Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler.

• Benson will play Jessup, tribute from District 12 alongside Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird; Marsden will play Mayfair Lipp, who places Lucy Gray’s name into contention for the tenth Hunger Games; Cooper will play Arachne Crane, mentor to a tribute from District 10; Steeples will play Dill, tribute from District 11; and Berrecloth will play Treech, tribute from District 7.

• The studio recently announced that moviegoers will return to The Hunger Games, the landmark film franchise that has earned over $3 billion globally, as The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes debuts in theaters worldwide on November 17, 2023. Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler), the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.

• The film will be directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously directed the franchise’s Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part One, and Mockingjay Part Two. 

• It will be shepherded by franchise producer Nina Jacobson and her producing partner Brad Simpson, along with Francis Lawrence. 

• Suzanne Collins, Tim Palen, and Jim Miller will serve as executive producers.

• The latest draft of the screenplay is by Michael Lesslie (Macbeth, starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, and Assassin’s Creed). Lesslie builds on the work of writers Suzanne Collins and Michael Arndt (the Oscar®-winning screenwriter of Little Miss Sunshine, as well as serving as one of the writers of Catching Fire). The screenplay is based on Collins’ bestselling novel. 

• Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien are overseeing on behalf of the studio. 

NICK BENSON (Jessup) graduated from the University of Southern California with a BFA in Acting for Screen, Stage, and New Media in 2021. Since graduation he has filmed recurring roles in Netflix’s “Boo, Bitch” and Disney+’s “Big Shot.” He is represented by SMS Talent and Untitled Entertainment. 

LAUREL MARSDEN (Mayfair Lipp) can currently be seen playing Zoe Zimmer in Disney+’s Marvel series “Ms. Marvel.” The Zimmer character made her debut in 2014’s Ms. Marvel No. 3. She recently completed production on All Fun and Games opposite Asa Butterfield and Natalia Dyer. Marsden previously starred alongside Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins in Quibi’s “Survive.” She is represented by Encompass and Zero Gravity Management. 

LILLY COOPER (Arachne Crane) is an English actress. She trained at Identity School of Acting in London. Credits include the role of Murta in “The Witcher” series 1 and 2. 23 years old, she is represented by the Identity Agency Group. 

LUNA STEEPLES (Dill) is an outstanding young performer with a spunky, outgoing, and fearless personality and maturity beyond her years. Her mother, Paola Menacho, is from Bolivia, and her father, Eddie Steeples, is from St. Louis, Missouri. Luna grew up speaking both English and Spanish and celebrating her family’s diversity. Luna’s family is philanthropic and supports St. Jude Children’s Hospital and The Alexandria House for Women and Children, which helps create spaces, jobs, and friendships where all people can thrive. She is represented by Jackson Entertainment Management (JEM) and Skrzyniarz & Mallean. 

HIROKI BERRECLOTH (Treech) has appeared in the BBC’s “Red Rose” and the short films Black Lichen, The Intruder, and Why Do You Look at Me with Those Eyes?.  He is currently acting whilst also studying a Science degree in University. He is passionate about the representation of South East Asians in media and film, and a goal of his is to one day establish a platform or production company that will help the development of SEA artists and promote SEA narratives. For now though, he’s a regular student who relaxes by reading manga and going skating with mates. He is represented by Simon & How. 

Nick Benson photo credit: Kenneth Dolin

Laurel Marsden photo credit: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Lilly Cooper photo credit: Dujonna Gift-Simms

Luna Steeples photo credit: Megan Amber  

Hiroki Berrecloth photo credit: Kensington Portraits 

SOURCE: Lionsgate