Only with us: How was the new “Hunger Games” film filmed in Poland?

“The Hunger Games: The Song of Birds and Snakes”: Hollywood stars in Wrocław

In collaboration with our production designer Uli Hanisch, we wanted to shoot this film in as many authentic locations as possible – He explains in an interview with Filmweb Francis Lawrence – We started wondering what could play the role of the Hunger Games arena on screen. I wanted a great arena that would fit aesthetically into the world we would be showing in the movie. Then Ole and his team found the Centenary Hall in Wrocław. We fell in love with it at first sight. As if that wasn’t enough, it turns out she was available right when we were supposed to start filming. We shot the scenes in Hilla for about six weeks.

^{Nina Jacobson and Frances Lawrence with the cast of “The Ballad of Birds and Snakes”}

Centennial Hall is not the only place in Poland where filming took place “The Song of Birds and Snakes”. Originally, we planned to shoot rural scenes in District 12 on a lake north of Berlin. – Lawrence recalls – However, when we missed this facility, we decided to take a closer look at sites in southwest Poland. Finally, after finishing the work on the Centennial Hall, we moved the cameras to Wałbrzych, and more specifically to the ponds in the village of Grzędy. The final effect is fantastic and includes: Thanks to the amazing Polish team who worked with us.

Many cinema lovers would like to see a number of Hollywood films produced in Poland, such as in Hungary or the Czech Republic for example. Is there a chance for this? The Poles brought a lot of enthusiasm, passion and commitment to our film. Since our return to Hollywood, we have told all our friends who are looking for a location for their next movie to come to Poland – He says Nina Jacobson – Such word-of-mouth marketing is very important. It seems to me that in the future your country will become the next major center of film production. Your film crew has huge potential. They are hard working and very talented.

^{Francis Lawrence on the set of “The Song of Birds and Snakes”}

“The Hunger Games” – “The Song of Birds and Snakes”: About the film

Every epic has a beginning, and every rebellion needs its first spark. This is the Tenth Hunger Games. At the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow intends to take advantage of the opportunity of being a mentor and gaining fame. The once powerful Snow family has declined, and Coriolanus’s future depends on whether he is able to defeat his rivals. But luck is not very much in his favor, because he is assigned a humiliating task. He became the teacher of Lucy Gray Bird, a girl from District Twelve, the poorest of the poor. Their fates will now be inextricably intertwined – every decision Snow makes can lead to success or failure, victory or defeat. A fight to the death takes place in the arena. Outside the arena, Coriolanus begins to feel compassion for his stricken tribute… Is it worth following the rules when the only thing that matters is survival at all costs?

Below is our interview with the film’s stars: Tom Blythe (Coriolanus Snow), Rachel Ziegler (Lucy Graybird), Hunter Schaeffer (Tigris Snow), and Josh Andres Rivera (Sejanus Plinth).