Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis has been cast to play the villain in The Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, reports Deadline.
Davis is slated to play Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaker of the 10th annual Hunger Games.
The synopsis of the prequel reads: “Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow 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, 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. 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.”
Lionsgate motion picture group president Nathan Kahane lauded the addition of Davis as a cast member.
“The Hunger Games films have always been elevated by their exceptional casting, and we are thrilled to be continuing that tradition with Viola Davis as Volumnia Gaul,” Kahane said. "Her formidable and powerful presence will add layers of complexity and menace to this story.”
Nina Jacobson, a producer of the franchise adds, “From the beginning, Viola has been our dream for Dr. Gaul because of the finely layered intelligence and emotion she brings to every role. 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.”
In addition to The Hunger Games, Davis is starring this fall in Sony’s historical epic The Woman King, which she also produced.
