“The Hunger Games” prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” has just landed an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA.

• The cast of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (an upcoming Hunger Games prequel) are free to promote the film before its November 17th release, thanks to an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA.
• This deal is a relief, as the promotion could be a game-changer for the $100 million production in these tumultuous times.
• Over 100 films have already secured interim agreements during the actors’ strike, requiring independent production with guild terms acceptance.
• The cast is now expected to attend premieres and fan events in Europe and Los Angeles, as well as share their excitement on social media.
• Rachel Zegler expressed gratitude for Lionsgate’s role in ensuring fairness for those who contribute to the film.

This means that stars Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, and Hunter Schafer can now promote the film ahead of its highly anticipated release on Nov. 17.

Despite the timing being a bit unclear, this last-minute boost in publicity could be a game-changer in attracting audiences to the theaters during the Thanksgiving season. With a production cost of $100 million, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a major risk as the first installment in the billion-dollar franchise in eight years and the first without Jennifer Lawrence.

Amid an ongoing actors’ strike, films that haven’t secured interim agreements, like Sony’s comedy “Dumb Money,” have struggled at the box office without the glitz and glam of red-carpet events and talk show appearances. Even big-budget films like “Dune: Part Two” have had to push back their release date due to the inability to promote it effectively.

Thankfully, over 100 films, including A24’s “Priscilla” and “The Iron Claw,” as well as Michael Mann’s racing drama “Ferrari,” have managed to secure interim agreements during the SAG-AFTRA strike. To obtain these agreements, producers must operate independently from companies aligned with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and accept the guild’s proposed terms.

Now that the interim agreement is in place, the cast of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is expected to attend premieres in Berlin and London, as well as a fan event in Los Angeles. They are also free to share their excitement about the prequel on social media, with Rachel Zegler alone having over 1.2 million followers.

Following the agreement news, Zegler took to social media to express her gratitude to Lionsgate and SAG-AFTRA for their hard work during the strike. She commended Lionsgate for showing that studios, regardless of their size, can come together for the fairness of their films and the people who contribute to them.