- Rachel Zegler had a memorable first meeting with Jennifer Lawrence, involving a joke about a new Hunger Games movie.
- Lawrence has expressed openness to returning to The Hunger Games franchise, but producer Nina Jacobson believes Katniss’ story is complete.
- Zegler stars as Lucy Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, years after Lawrence led the franchise as Katniss Everdeen.
When Rachel Zegler first met Jennifer Lawrence, she was pleasantly surprised by the Oscar-winning actress’s humor and kindness. Lawrence playfully joked about posing for a photo where she strangled Zegler for taking the lead role in a new Hunger Games movie. Zegler now stars as Lucy Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which comes years after Lawrence portrayed Katniss Everdeen in the original franchise.
Zegler first met Lawrence during a Dior show at Paris Fashion Week, as she recounted on a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. She said that Lawrence was “unbelievably kind”, and that the two took a photo together while Lawrence lightheartedly joked that Zegler would “never take [her] part.”
Lawrence rose to superstardom after her role as Katniss Everdeen in the 2012 debut of The Hunger Games series. She went on to star in three more Hunger Games films, as well as David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, which earned her the Best Actress Academy Award. Lawrence recently discussed the possibility of returning to the Hunger Games franchise, but producer Nina Jacobson believes that Katniss’ story has reached its conclusion.
Jacobson said, “If Suzanne [Collins] has something to say, then she’ll write a book about it. Honestly, as much as I love Katniss, I think her story is complete.” She added that if Collins writes a new book involving Katniss, she would be thrilled to be a part of the project.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, based on Collins’ 2020 novel, serves as a prequel set 64 years before the original film. The movie stars Zegler along with Tom Blyth, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, and Viola Davis. It is currently playing in theaters.
All four original Hunger Games films, led by Lawrence, are available for streaming on Hulu.