‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ World Premiere Photos: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer & Josh Andrés Rivera

London is hosting the world premiere of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the anticipated prequel to the original The Hunger Games trilogy, directed by Francis Lawrence.

Lawrence was joined by the stars of the film, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, and Josh Andrés Rivera, all of whom walked the carpet at the BFI Imax on Thursday, November 9th.

The latest release in the blockbuster franchise based on the novels by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes takes place 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical president of Panem. Francis Lawrence returns as director to the latest saga (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Parts 1 and 2). The new film also stars Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis.

Related: ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes’ World Premieres As Team Optimistic For More Sequels

Other attendees included Brad Simpson, Nina Jacobson, George Somner, Honor Gillies, Sofia Sanchez, Luna Steeples, Carl Spencer, Cooper Dillon, Knox Gibson, Mackenzie Lansing, Aamer Husain, Dexter Sol Ansell & more.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Blyth), the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes premieres in U.S  theaters on November 17.