The film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020) released in November of 2023, creating buzz among The Hunger Games fans, new and old. The novel and film detail the life of tyrannical dictator President Coriolanus Snow and his rise to power in Panem, a nation that rose from the ashes of North America after a series of natural disasters and political turmoil. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes acts as a prequel to the events of The Hunger Games trilogy, and it demonstrates the development of the Hunger Games as a central part of everyday life in Panem. The novel begins in the Capitol, where Snow and other elite citizens reside, are planning the 10th annual Hunger Games. However, this year is special, students of the Academy, like Snow, are expected to participate in the Games as mentors for the selected District tributes; this is an event that will change the course of Panem and the Games forever. A total of 24 tributes, two from each of the 12 districts, are torn from their homes and transferred to the Capitol, expected to fight to the death in an arena until a sole victor remains. This death game is aired live across Panem, and it is mandatory viewing for all who live in the Districts and the Capitol. The Hunger Games are the Districts’ punishment for rebelling during the Dark Days. On top of this punishment, the Districts are exploited and heavily policed by the Capitol, limiting their access to resources and subjecting them to constant surveillance. Life in Panem is grueling and unforgiving, and The Hunger Games has been categorized as a dystopian young adult series. In this study, I would like to challenge that dystopian assessment and offer a different perspective.