Here Are 6 Side-By-Sides That Show These "Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes" Costume Sketches Vs. The Movie

    The Hunger Games: Catching Fire costume designer Trish Summerville returns for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and details how she created some of the most iconic looks from the book to the screen.

    Nora Dominick
    by Nora Dominick

    BuzzFeed Staff

    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is almost here, and for someone who has thought about nothing other than my love for this book since Suzanne Collins debuted the novel in 2020, I am so excited.

    Lionsgate / Via youtu.be

    In case you don't know, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel that takes place 64 years before the events of the original series. The book (and now movie) follows a young Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow, who is selected to be a mentor in the 10th Hunger Games and is assigned to the District 12 tribute, Lucy Gray Baird.

    Lucy Gray bowing and a voice saying, "From District 12, Lucy Gray Baird"
    Lionsgate / Via youtu.be

    The book follows Coryo and Lucy's partnership as they command all of Panem's attention in an attempt to have Lucy win the Hunger Games. On top of this, the story also fleshes out the origins of the Hunger Games and we are, once again, given some amazing tributes and mentors you can't help but love.

    Adapting The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes involved bringing the world of The Hunger Games and Panem back to the big screen, under the direction of Francis Lawrence, who previously directed Catching Fire and both Mockingjay movies.

    Francis Lawrence behind the scenes of Catching Fire with Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth
    Murray Close / Lionsgate / Everett Collection

    Alongside Francis, there are other returning people behind the scenes, including costume designer Trish Summerville, who is best known for bringing the iconic and memorable costumes of Catching Fire to life.

    Peeta, Katniss, and Effie in Catching Fire
    Murray Close / Lionsgate / Everett Collection

    So, to celebrate the upcoming movie, here are six sketches of some of the memorable costumes in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes vs. what they look like in the film. Plus, some commentary from Trish on how it all came together and her thought process behind each look:

    1. First, here's a sketch of Lucy Gray Baird's signature rainbow arena costume:

    Gloria Kim / Lionsgate

    Trish explained, "I wanted to do dusty, muted tones, because it’s also Lucy Gray's mother's dress, so it couldn’t be too fresh and vibrant. It involved taking many fabrics and doing several versions of what colors worked together."

    And here's Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

    A closeup of her in a tulle-layered dress that's a copy of the sketch
    Lionsgate

    She continued, saying, "The fabric had to be lightweight, so Rachel could move freely in it. The skirt also had to be a fabric with some give and stretch to it , since Rachel had so much action and stunts.  I wanted the corset to be leather because of its durability and would take aging and distressing well."

    And here they are side-by-side:

    Gloria Kim / Lionsgate, Lionsgate

    2. Here's a sketch of Coriolanus Snow's outfit, complete with his signature red rose:

    Coryo wearing a ruffled shirt, vest, pants, and a rose on his lapel
    Gloria Kim / Lionsgate

    Trish and Francis wanted to make sure the version of Panem we see in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes feels different enough from the Panem we saw in the first movies. She added, "Aesthetically it looks completely different from the world we saw in the other films."

    And here's Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

    Lionsgate

    And here they are side-by-side:

    Gloria Kim / Lionsgate, Lionsgate

    3. Here's a sketch of Tigris in her pink outfit she wears while watching the 10th Annual Hunger Games:

    Tigris in an outfit with pointed shoulders that are padded and and the skirt is tight and goes past her knees
    Gloria Kim / Lionsgate

    For Tigris, Trish worked closely with the makeup department head, Sherri Berman Laurence, and the hair department head, Nikki Gooley, to design Tigris's trademark look. "I'm a big fan of 1940s' silhouettes, so I leaned into that," Trish said. "We had a very contained color palette with the film, and I wanted Tigris’s colors and shapes to be really exaggerated since she is the most fashionable person in the film."

    And here's Hunter Schafer as Tigris in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

    Lionsgate

    Francis explained that they wanted to create a balance between the Tigris we know in the later The Hunger Games movies and books vs. her present self. He elaborated, "One thing we have to do with Hunter is to keep the sweet youthfulness about her, while still doing something a little different and avant-garde. It's not over the top. We didn't want to lean into what Tigris becomes, but just provide a nod to it."

    And here they are side-by-side:

    Gloria Kim / Lionsgate, Lionsgate

    4. Here's a sketch of Sejanus Plinth in his school uniform:

    Sejanus wearing a high-neck buttoned up shirt, a jacket, and a skirt with pants, all in one color
    Gloria Kim / Lionsgate

    And here's Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

    Lionsgate

    And here they are side-by-side:

    Gloria Kim / Lionsgate, Lionsgate

    5. Here's a sketch of Dr. Volumnia Gaul's red and white lab outfit:

    The long jacket goes past her knees and is in an ombre color and she's wearing leather gloves
    Oksana Nedavniaya / Lionsgate

    For Dr. Gaul’s signature red and white lab outfit, the costume team wanted to enhance the character's already intimidating presence. 

    And here's Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

    Lionsgate

    "With Gaul’s lab coat, we used a duchess silk and washed it so it could get this kind of veining through it," Trish explained. "Then ombre dyed it in red. I like using red in that stark cold environment – it empowers the presence of Dr. Gaul."

    And here they are side-by-side:

    Oksana Nedavniaya / Lionsgate, Lionsgate

    6. And finally, here's a sketch of one of Lucky Flickerman's outfits as he announced the Hunger Games:

    Lucky wearing a velvet blazer and suit pants while a bird sits perched on his hand
    Oksana Nedavniaya / Lionsgate

    For Lucky Flickerman, the filmmakers enjoyed charting his rising stardom through his various clothing and hairstyles throughout the movie. "As Lucky’s work covering the Games on television progresses, so does his ego and excitement, so I wanted his hair to start getting a little higher and his mustache to become fancier," explained Trish.

    And here's Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

    Lionsgate

    In terms of his various tuxes and other outfits in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Trish elaborated, saying, "With his wardrobe, it's a slow progression of him dressing fancier and fancier, and by the finale, Lucky’s in a tuxedo with tails."

    And here they are side-by-side:

    Oksana Nedavniaya / Lionsgate, Lionsgate

    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes hits theaters on Nov. 17, 2023.

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