New Hunger Games Film, 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,' Takes a Different Aesthetic Approach Reflecting Post-War Era

Costume designer Trish Summerville uses contrasting color palettes to display socio-economic disparities, while production designer Uli Hanisch reimagines Panem as a post-war city inspired by the 1940s and 1950s aesthetics for the prequel, set six decades before the original Hunger Games.

The new Hunger Games prequel, 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,' presents a contrasting color palette and a completely different environment than the previous films, reflecting the early post-war era, and draws inspiration from the aesthetics of the 1940s and 1950s.
Costume designer Trish Summerville returned to the Hunger Games franchise to create outfits that communicate the big message of the film, symbolize characters' social status, and hint at future developments in the Hunger Games universe.
A key focus of the costumes was to depict the socio-economic disparities in Panem, with an excess of color in the Capitol contrasting with the dark, dreary clothing of the districts, which are intended to evoke a sense of life and community before the Capitol's control took over.
Production designer Uli Hanisch envisaged a post-war, mid-century Panem, incorporating elements of retro and Gothic style to create a sense of intimidation and control but also showing locations full of life and activity, such as the bustling District 12 and the vibrant Hob.
Lucy Gray Baird's rainbow dress that appears in the film was carefully designed to evoke a sense of history and functionality, incorporating the shape of Katniss Everdeen's blue mockingjay dress corset and elements in line with the period's aesthetics.