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‘The Hunger Games’ Director Under Fire For Comments on Katniss and Lucy’s Sexuality

August 30, 2023

Francis Lawrence, the director of “The Hunger Games” trilogy and now its prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, spoke out recently on the differences between the film’s respective heroines, Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) and Lucy Gray Baird (played by Rachel Zegler). The primary difference, Lawrence believes, is in the characters’ sexuality.

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 18: Jennifer Lawrence attends "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2" New York Premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 theater on November 18, 2015 in New York City.

In an interview with Empire Online, the director said “Katniss was an introvert and a survivor. She was quite quiet and stoic, you could almost say [she was] asexual. Lucy Gray is the opposite. She wears her sexuality on her sleeve, [and] she really is a performer.”

The director’s comments are being met with mixed reactions. While both characters do appear to have different survival mechanisms in the dystopian series, many longtime fans of the book-to-film adaptations feel that the differences do not lie in their sexuality.

BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 04: Actors Liam Hemsworth, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson attend the world premiere of the film 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2' at CineStar on November 4, 2015 in Berlin, Germany

The original trilogy of films, released in the early 2010s, notably launched the careers of a number of its stars, including Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson.

Social Media Reactions

Avid readers of Suzanne Collins’ original book series on which the popular films are based argued that Katniss’ character was never asexual, but simply under a lot of pressure and put her family first. Additionally, Katniss felt responsible for her entire community, and was a part of a national revolution.

I don’t recall Lucy wearing sexuality on her sleeve in the books. And Katniss doesn’t give off asexual vibes. She was a teenager under a lot of stress…

— Original Doll (@22dbrit) August 29, 2023

Others felt that the director’s comments detracted from the true heart of the story.

https://twitter.com/With_luv_tracy/status/1696699753537417640?s=20

 Elsewhere, some asserted that the games had simply changed by the time described in “The Hunger Games” trilogy, and female tributes had to alter their survival strategies.

https://twitter.com/ARJZONATEA/status/1696652827253153858?s=20′

Some additionally felt that the director’s comments were strange due to both characters being underage teenagers.

https://twitter.com/hxnni__/status/1696950328913019329?s=20

BookTok Thoughts

The avid readers of TikTok‘s BookTok community have long been breaking down the difference between the characters ahead of the much anticipated prequel’s theatrical release. Many argue that Katniss was President Snow’s karma for what he did to Lucy Gray Baird decades earlier.

https://www.tiktok.com/@chaoscalavera/video/7212743796545604907?_r=1&_t=8fHHQeNQir8

Some even feel that the characters actually bear more similarities than differences. Both characters hail from the working class District 12, and are distant relatives. It is also revealed in the novel that the haunting song “The Hanging Tree” was originally composed by Lucy.

https://www.tiktok.com/@sahiltnt/video/7227620256943082798?_r=1&_t=8fHHbnLbWj0

Collins is yet to react to the director’s controversial comments at this time. Neither Zegler nor Lawrence have commented on the director’s characterization of their respective iconic characters either.