The Hunger Games seemed like a movie franchise with a clear beginning, middle, and end, but it appears that ideas for furthering the series were present from the start. Although this wasn’t immediately apparent to the filmmakers, one actor had big plans for his character. As the prequels proved, that character turned out to be the series’ most important.

The original Hunger Games movies followed lead character Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) on her journey to create a rebellion that would overthrow the ruling class. Along the way, she had strong allies, such as Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), who helped lead her to victory when she eliminated the dangerous President Coriolanus Snow.

However, as the prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, showed, it might be Snow himself who is the best character in this world. It also shouldn’t come as a surprise, since it is something that actor Donald Sutherland seemed to know from the start.

The Hunger Games Movies Gave Snow A Much Bigger Role Early On

Donald Sutherland Wrote A Backstory For His Character

The legendary Donald Sutherland played President Coriolanus Snow in the original Hunger Games movies, the dictator of Panem. This was also not a matter of good luck for the young adult franchise to get the actor on board. Instead, director Gary Ross said Sutherland wrote him a letter, saying he wanted to play President Snow in the films (via SFX).

Ross said that Sutherland had read Suzanne Collins’s novels before he was cast in the movies.

“Donald had actually read it and wrote me a letter that was so compelling saying, ‘Listen, I’ve read this series and I’m really interested. Here is who I think President Snow is.’ The minute I read the letter it was very clear that he was right.

“He understood what he meant in the piece. He understood where the nature of power comes from and he understood how pernicious that power was and how President Snow used that power. He gave me a glimpse into that side of the world that was more vivid than anything that I had seen.”

Shockingly, Ross said that Sutherland even wrote an in-depth backstory for President Snow. Elements of this story were then added to the scenes for the final movie. It also helped spawn the idea for the Snow-centric prequel years before the source novel was ever written.

Snow’s Increased Role Is Vital For The Hunger Games’ Spinoffs

President Snow’s Path To Hunger Games Presents The Best Stories

The original Hunger Games movies centered on Katniss and the rebellion. President Snow was the antagonist at the top of the ladder, someone that Katniss had to work her way up to before finally cutting the head off the beast. However, with Donald Sutherland seeing so much more in the character, it opened up the story world.

When the Hunger Games movies ended, the president was ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, and the possibly even more dangerous rebellion leader died as well. It opened up the future for endless possibilities. However, the franchise instead focused on prequels for the spinoff movies, which makes sense considering the games themselves have likely come to an end.

There is no character more critical to these prequels than Snow. Since Sutherland saw the intrigue in his character’s backstory, the franchise had something to grasp onto and help lead the series into the future with more conflict, drama, and intrigue following The Hunger Games‘ most interesting character.

Increasing President Snow’s Role Was One Of The Hunger Games’ Best Changes

Making President Snow Well Rounded Made Hunger Games Better

The idea of Katniss Everdeen leading the rebellion in the original Hunger Games movies was a common trope among young adult dystopian films. However, to make the film series stand out, it needed to find something more than just another version of Battle Royale for a new generation. President Snow offers that.

With The Hunger Games, President Snow became more than just a figurehead whom Katniss and her friends had to overcome. Instead, he was a well-rounded and sometimes sympathetic figure that Katniss had to deal with. By making Snow someone who has a strong connection to the Games, it made him more than a mustache-swirling villain.

By portraying President Snow as someone with a tragic past, it allowed a film like The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to show how that trauma led him to become the president that Katniss and others had to bring down. It made President Snow better than almost anyone in The Hunger Games, including the protagonist and hero.

Source: SFX