Los Angeles, Aug 30 (IANS):  'Hunger Games' director Francis Lawrence says the character of protagonist Katniss Everdeen is "asexual", while Lucy Gray "wears her sexuality on her sleeve."

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Lawrence, who is geared up for his new prequel film, ‘The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’, said: “Katniss was an introvert and a survivor.”

He went on to add that Katniss being a survivor is one of the biggest reasons for the difference between Katniss and Lucy, reports Variety.

“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. She really is a performer.”

The 52-year-old filmmaker called Lucy’s character as a big extrovert with powerful social skills: “She loves crowds. She knows how to play crowds and manipulate people.”

Katniss has always been the warrior who had to adjust to the world of playing politics of the Hunger Games and the Capital, while Lucy is an exact opposite with a penchant for bending things to her own will.

‘The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ is set more than 60 years before the events of ‘The Hunger Games’. As such, Jennifer Lawrence won’t be doing her iconic portrayal of Katniss and will feature Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray, while Tom Blythe will play Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow.

Zegler and Blyth are joined in ‘The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ by Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman and Viola Davis.

The movie is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins, author of the original ‘Hunger Games’ book trilogy. ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ will premiere in theatres on November 17, 2023.