Rachel Zegler confirmed that she won’t be returning as Lucy Gray Baird in the upcoming ‘Hunger Games’ prequel movie ‘ Sunrise on the Reaping.’
In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, Zegler said, “I would die at the chance to come back as Lucy Gray Baird, but I am not included.” Lucy Gray Baird was a central figure in ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ This prequel is set 64 years before the events of the original ‘Hunger Games’ series and follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) as he faces moral struggles and starts down the path toward becoming the ruthless president seen in the main series.
Both the book and the movie adaptation of ‘Songbirds and Snakes’ ended with Lucy Gray’s fate uncertain. But Zegler’s recent announcement makes it seem like her story might remain unresolved.
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ is set to release as a novel on March 18, 2025. The movie adaptation is scheduled to hit theaters on November 20, 2026. Collins’ upcoming novel will take place 40 years after ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ It will move closer to the timeline of the original Hunger Games series. This story will center on the 50th annual Hunger Games and will focus on Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch will be dealing with emotional struggles and trying not to think about his slim chances of survival as he faces the Quarter Quell.
Rachel Zegler is currently starring in a Broadway production of ‘Romeo & Juliet.’ Her next movie appearance will be in the animated Netflix original film ‘Spellbound.’ It’s set for release on November 22 in the United States.
