The Hunger Games prequel to hit cinemas in 2023

'The Hunger Games' is returning to cinemas with a blockbuster prequel titled 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'.

The movie has been in the works for some time, but now studio bosses have confirmed it's slated to hit cinemas in November 2023.

News of the film's release date was unveiled during a presentation at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas on Thursday (28.04.22).

Casting for the movie has yet to be confirmed, but film bosses revealed director Francis Lawrence, who directed the last three movies in the franchise, will return to helm the latest installment.

'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' will be based on the latest book by 'The Hunger Games' author Suzanne Collins which was released last year.

The story is set years before the events of the first films and follows a young Coriolanus Snow, who was played by Donald Sutherland in 'The Hunger Games' films.

In the original movies, Snow was the cruel ruler of Panem, but in the prequel he will be seen mentoring a young tribute in the 10th Hunger Games.

He is assigned District 12 tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, who gains attention by singing during the reaping.

In the book, the games are disrupted when one of the mentors, Arachne Crane, is murdered by her tribute, while Snow is later accused of cheating and stealing food.

'The Hunger Games' films starred Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, with Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy.

The first film was released in 2012, and spawned three sequels which concluded with 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2' in 2015.