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Viola Davis joins cast of 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'

2:21
Our favorite Viola Davis moments for her birthday
David M. Benett/Getty Images, FILE
ByAndrea Tuccillo
August 16, 2022, 3:05 PM

Viola Davis has landed a role in "The Hunger Games" prequel.

The Oscar-winning actress has been cast as diabolical Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul in "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," based on the best-selling novel by Suzanne Collins.

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"From the beginning, Viola has been our dream for Dr. Gaul because of the finely layered intelligence and emotion she brings to every role," producer Nina Jacobson said in a statement. "A brilliant and eccentric strategist, Gaul is instrumental in shaping a young Coriolanus Snow into the man he will become. We are incredibly fortunate to have an actor with Viola’s extraordinary range and presence to play this pivotal role."

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"Dr. Gaul is as cruel as she is creative and as fearsome as she is formidable," Director Francis Lawrence added. "Snow's savvy as a political operator develops in no small part due to his experiences with her as the games' most commanding figure."

The film stars Tom Blyth as an 18-year-old Cornelius Snow, years before he becomes the evil president of Panem -- a role played by Donald Sutherland in the original "Hunger Games" films.

Rachel Zegler plays tribute Lucy Gray Baird, whom Snow is tasked with mentoring.

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"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" debuts in theaters worldwide on Nov. 17, 2023.

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