Watch Hunter Schafer Make Her Hunger Games Debut in Prequel’s First Trailer

Euphoria actress and model Hunter Schafer has made her Hunger Games debut.

The trans star portrays a young Tigris Snow in the upcoming prequel film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Schafer plays the cousin and confidante of Coriolanus Snow, a protagonist in the film but the antagonist in the original films (Snow was played by Donald Sutherland in those).

“It’s not just about winning,” Schafer’s Tigris tells her cousin in the trailer.

The film is set 64 years before the Jennifer Lawrence-starring movies.

“Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor,” the prequel’s logline reads, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

“Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird and a snake,” it concludes.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is based on Suzanne Collins’ 2020 prequel novel — Collins also penned the original trilogy of books. Collins serves as one of the executive producers of the film. Michael Arndt and Michael Lesslie adapted the novel.

The film also stars Peter Dinklage, Josh Andres Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis. It’s helmed by director Francis Lawrence.

“Fans want to know and see the origins of this story,” Adam Fogelson, vice chair motion picture group at Lionsgate, said at CinemaCon. The Hollywood Reporter said he compared the upcoming film to prequels such as Wicked or Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes hits theaters on November 17, 2023.

Watch the trailer below.