'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' cast discuss highly anticipated film

By Carson Blackwelder

The stars of "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" are opening up about the highly anticipated film.

Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth and Josh Andrés Rivera stopped by "Good Morning America" on Thursday to tease what fans can expect when the movie arrives in theaters on Nov. 17.

Rivera, who plays Sejanus Plinth, described the film, based on the book by Suzanne Collins, as "the origin story for 'The Hunger Games' that we know."

"It's a prequel film that goes into the history of Coriolanus Snow, who ends up becoming the dictator that he is in the original trilogy," Rivera added.

Lionsgate

Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."

Snow was perfectly played by Donald Sutherland in the previous "Hunger Games" films, and Blyth, who now plays the younger version of the character, said those were "some very big shoes to fill."

However, Blyth said he and director Francis Lawrence "talked very early on about kind of giving ourselves artistic license to not try and copycat Donald's amazing performance -- because how could you?"

Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray Baird, said she felt pressure coming into a franchise with such a dedicated fanbase as the one "The Hunger Games" has garnered throughout the years, but said they all came in as "really big fans" themselves.

"It was pretty intense to step in, but we've been welcomed with open arms from not only Francis, who directed 'Catching Fire' and the 'Mockingjay' films, but also the crew that came back to do these movies with us as well," she said.

Murray Close/Lionsgate

Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."

Zegler said she did "almost all" of her own stunts for the film, adding, "It's a very, very intense film to do your own stunts on."

The young cast also praised the veteran actors who are also part of the film -- notably Jason Schwartzman, Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage.

"I'm still pinching myself," Blyth said. "It's the best training you can get as an actor, to work with your heroes."

Lionsgate, the studio behind the film, obtained an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA for its cast to promote the film amid the ongoing actors strike.

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" arrives in theaters on Nov. 17.