Rachel Zegler soaks up rave reviews at Hunger Games premiere in dress with hidden meaning

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ leading lady Rachel Zegler understood the assignment at the film’s premiere (Picture: Getty)

Rachel Zegler dressed to impress at the Berlin world premiere of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in a fetching fire-themed gown that referenced original star Jennifer Lawrence.

Thanks to a Sag-Aftra interim agreement, allowing its actors to promote the movie despite the ongoing actors’ strike, Zegler, 22, and her co-stars hit the red carpet just as the first reactions came in for the movie.

And with phrases such as ‘thrilling return to Panem’ and ‘the gift that keeps on giving’ being bandied about on Twitter by those critics lucky enough to have seen it so far, it sounds like audiences are in for a treat.

Its leading lady – who will next be seen as Disney’s Snow White – also gave a feast for the eyes as she wore a black fitted mermaid-style gown with pointed corset top and distinct red fiery section at the bottom in what appeared to be a nod to Katniss Everdeen.

Katniss, portrayed by Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence, 33, in the four original Hunger Games films – adapted from Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novels – was also known as ‘the Girl on Fire’ thanks to her dramatic outfits created by stylist Cinna (played by Lenny Kravitz).

On more than one occasion, he designs gowns for her to wear that burst into flames, and in the second film, 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, this includes a wedding dress that turns into a black Mockingjay design with wings after it ignites from the bottom.

Zegler opted for a black mermaid-style gown with a bold red pattern at the bottom, reminiscent of flames (Picture: Tristar Media/WireImage)

With co-star Tom Blyth, who plays a young Coriolanus Snow (Picture: Tristar Media/WireImage)

Her dress was a nod to those of Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) who ‘caught fire’ in the original Hunger Games films (Picture: Lionsgate)

It was this dress that the West Side Story actress seemed to specifically pay tribute to as she attended the premiere for the prequel alongside the likes of Tom Blyth – who plays young yet-to-be president Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland in the original films) – as well as Hunter Schafer and Josh Andrés Rivera, her real-life boyfriend.

 Also featuring in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes are Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis and Jason Schwartzman, with the movie helmed by former Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence, who has guided every installment since the first film in 2012, which was directed by Gary Ross.

Running at a beefy 157 minutes, so over two and a half hours, the new film appears to have largely won over critics.

She shared a laugh with actress and model Hunter Schafer on the black carpet too (Picture: Tristar Media/WireImage)

Josh Andres Rivera, Blyth, Zegler, Schafer and director Francis Lawrence pose at the premiere after getting an interim agreement with Sag-Aftra to promote the movie during the ongoing actors’ strike (Picture: Tristar Media/WireImage)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the best #HungerGames movie yet,’ gushed film journalist Daniel Howat on X (formerly known as Twitter).

‘It’s darker, more of a character study than anything, but always genuinely entertaining. With high stakes, solid action, and killer performances, it’s a thrilling return to Panem,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Glitter Magazine’s Nikki Fowler praised it as ‘the gift that keeps on giving from the Hunger Games franchise’ and a ‘brilliantly haunting dystopian action film’.

Blyth was also singled out as ‘dynamic and chilling’ as a young Coriolanus Snow, while Zegler reportedly ‘shines’ as Lucy Gray Baird.

Others delighted by the film’s acting included film and TV critic Tessa Smith, who tweeted: ‘The entire cast is phenomenal. Tom Blyth gives the performance of a lifetime!’

‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is one of the most faithful book adaptations I’ve seen,’ added ComicBook.com’s Jamie Jirak.

‘Part III is a bit rushed, but it all worked so well thanks to a PERFECT cast. Rachel Zegler blew me away, Viola Davis ate, and Jason Schwartzman had me rolling.’

The Hunger Games prequel is set 64 years before the events of the 2012 movie (Picture: Murray Close/Lionsgate via AP)

Set in post-war dystopian Panem, a decade after the first Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes sees young Snow tasked with mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler) after his family’s previously high stature has been damaged.

Baird is also a tribute from the impoverished District 12, just like Katniss will be decades later.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is out in cinemas on Friday, November 17.

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The prequel has had praise lavished upon it in giddy social reactions.