Honestly, there's two things about the story itself that really drew me in.

One was the theme that it was different, that it was built around a different idea than the original series.

The original series was based on this idea of sort of telling a story that is all about the consequence of war.

This, Suzanne, decided to write a story about the state of nature debate.

And this idea of like, are we as humans sort of America.

In this episode, the bloody roots of The Hunger Games are explored in director Francis

Lawrence's action-adventure drama, The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

In this prequel to the popular franchise, a young Coriolanus Snow mentors for the 10th Hunger Games

and develops feelings for the female tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray-Baird, years before

he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem.

In addition to The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Lawrence's other

directorial credits include the feature films, The Hunger Games, Mocking Jay Parts 1 and 2, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Red Sparrow, I Am Legend, and Constantine, and episodes of the series Kings and C. Following a screening of the film at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, Lawrence spoke with

director Mark Webb about filming The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Listen on for their

spoiler-filled conversation. Hello West Hollywood. How are you guys doing? How'd you like the movie? You're still here.

So pretty great. We got a photographer up front. How exciting.

Francis and I have known each other for probably 20 years. I had the very fortunate experience of being a younger director in the office next to him

at our music video company, DNA, David Naylor and Associates.

And I came, I think the first time I remember Francis was before I met him, when I first

moved to L.A., there was a video from Culeo where all

these people were stepping off of bridges and then, and it was that was the Matrix sort of

frozen moment effect before the Matrix did it. And it was very kind of moving and sweet and

uplifting until I talked to him later. And he's like, no, all those people died at the end of the

...