The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes brings Suzanne Collins’ dystopian world of Panem back to theaters after the Jennifer Lawrence-led films wrapped up in 2015 with the ending of Mockingjay – Part 2. Among the cast of the HG prequel, is a host of newcomers to the franchise, including Hunter Schafer. The rising actress plays a key role in the film and funny enough, revealed herself to be the biggest fan amongst her co-stars. And the reason for Schafer’s fandom is so precious.
When CinemaBlend attended the Los Angeles press conference for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (which you can watch in full on our YouTube channel), the lead actors of the movie were asked to rank how into the original Hunger Games books and movies they were prior to being cast. While Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth and Jose Andrés Rivera all were pretty into the franchise already before landing their roles, Schafer shared why she’s the biggest fan of the cast. In her words:
I would say probably a nine to a ten as far as fandom-ness goes. I read the books in middle school and was deeply obsessed, and then saw the first movie and got obsessed with the costumes. And, I made my own literally Capitol person costume for Halloween one year. I was drawing my own graphic novels of the books. Like, it was a real deep obsession for a while. So, it feels really full-circle to be here now doing this.
Hunter Schafer not only loved reading The Hunger Games books and movies, long before the prequel was among 2023’s book adaptations. The series even inspired her to create her own Halloween costume and make artwork inspired by the stories. If that’s not ultimate fandom, I don’t know what is! Schafer was 13 when the first Hunger Games movie was released and, over a decade later, she plays a Capitol person in the latest movie! When speaking to her role, Schafer shared the following sentiments:
I do feel like if I were to play anybody in this book, it was supposed to be [Tigris]. I think I feel aligned with how she sort of moves throughout the world and uses fashion as an armor. And, I also just admire her values towards family, and family first and kind of operating on the, like, on the fact that she’ll do anything for them. And that’s something that I want to stay aligned with throughout my life.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes
Release Date: November 17, 2023
Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Written By: Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt
Starring: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage, Josh Andrés Rivera, and Viola Davis
Rating: PG-13 for strong violent content and disturbing material.
Runtime: 157 minutes
Tigris is the cousin to Coriolanus Snow and resides in the Capitol with him during the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. In the prequel, she assists Snow with his fashion and, down the line, she is appointed to become a stylist for the Hunger Games. Tigris then begins to get a number of surgical enhancements that transform her from the blonde-haired look Hunter Schafer channels to the character we meet in the original Hunger Games series.
Eugenie Bondurant played the character in 2015’s Mockingjay – Part 2, where we learn that Snow apparently fired Tigris from her role in the Capitol and she opened her own shop. Tigris ends up helping Katniss, her friends and other refugees during the Rebellion the latter helps ignite and survives after Snow is overthrown.
Hunter Schafer was cast as Tigris back in 2022 on the heels of being a major part of the cast of Euphoria, on which she plays Jules. The star is definitely talented, and moviegoers are sure to enjoy what she brings to this beloved mythlogy You can see Schafer in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes — one of the biggest 2023 new movie releases — which is now playing in theaters! And if you’re as big a fan of the series as the actress is, you can stream the OG Hunger Games movies using a Hulu subscription.