Hunger Games Prequel Invites Fans to Enroll in the Academy
Alex Gherzo | Aug 8, 2023 |
A new Hunger Games movie is coming out, not that you’d know it from the lack of fanfare it’s elicited. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (… okay, then) is a prequel to the main series that centers on Coriolanus Snow, who I gather is the villain of the story, and his mentorship of a tribute named Lucy Gray Baird. Like the previous films, it’s based on a book by Suzanne Collins and will be directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed all but the first of the Hunger Games movies. But, surprisingly, there doesn’t seem to be much excitement for the next installment. Being a prequel, it doesn’t have any of the actors from the old series (though it does have some great ones, like Peter Dinklage and Viola Davis), but still, the books were a big deal. Maybe this one wasn’t as well-received. Regardless, the film is just over three months away, so Lionsgate, in conjunction with Fandango, is trying to generate some hype with a new video inviting fans to text 717-thg-mkjy to “enroll in the academy.”
For the glory of Panem, we have officially signed up for The Academy! Who else will join us? Head here to sign up for a Fan Alerts to find out more about the latest #HungerGames movie 🏹 👇https://t.co/SMGxh6hkQa pic.twitter.com/wRHHCxYbZE
— Fandango (@Fandango) August 8, 2023
A quick search reveals that “enrolling in the academy” means getting text updates on the movie. Despite it being the first film to feature a woman as an action hero, I’ve never seen the Hunger Games movies or read the books; I know they’re popular, but they didn’t seem like my thing. I’m not the target audience for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Jack and Diane, but that audience is sizable, and Lionsgate doesn’t seem to be doing much to reach them. I had to double-check to remember that a trailer was released a few months ago; I go to the movies a lot, and I’ve never seen it played on the big screen. The Hunger Games films were a big deal when the main series was made, so it’s surprising that this feels like an also-ran. The texting thing is a bit novel, I suppose, but how many people actually do this stuff? With so many movies bombing lately, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby has an opportunity to clean up by pleasing Hunger Games fans in a way a lot of IPs don’t anymore, but it’s got to let people know it exists first. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Billy the Kid arrives in theaters on November 17, 2023.
