Sam Claflin Is ‘100%’ Open to Returning to ‘The Hunger Games’: ‘I Would Be All in for Finnick’s Dad’
Sam Claflin told Variety that he would be “100%” open to returning to “The Hunger Games” franchise.
Speaking with Marc Malkin during Variety On the Carpet, presented by DIRECTV, Claflin opened up about his reaction to the prequel film “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and the potential for his widely beloved character Finnick to make an appearance in future “Hunger Games” projects.
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Though he is willing to return to the dystopian world of Panem, Claflin fears his age might be a detriment: “I don’t know if there’s room for me to go back. I’m too old now.”
The actor did add, however, “I’ve heard rumors that people are asking for a Finnick prequel, and all I’m gonna say is that I would be all in for Finnick’s dad.”
Franchise director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson have stated that they would not want to create an entry into the “Hunger Games” franchise without author Suzanne Collins providing the source material first.
Lawrence told Entertainment Weekly, “If Suzanne has another thematic idea that she feels fits into the world of Panem — whether that’s with new people [or] familiar characters [like] Finnick, Haymitch, whoever — I’d be really interested in looking at it and being a part of it. But I don’t have any pull of just going, ‘I would love to do Finnick’s games.’ He’s a great character, but what’s the thematic underpinnings that make it worth telling and relevant?”
Whether or not Claflin steps back into Finnick’s shoes — or Finnick’s father’s shoes — he has great admiration for “The Ballad of Songbirds of Snakes,” starring Rachel Zegler and Tom Blythe.
He revealed to Variety that he has already watched the film: “Of course I have [seen it.] If you love the ‘Hunger Games’ series, you will love this movie. Francis Lawrence at the helm is sort of a dagger in the heart because I thought he was ours, but I’m so glad that he’s stuck with it.”
Claflin is attending the Emmys in support of his recent series “Daisy Jones and the Six,” in which he plays a 1970s rock star alongside Riley Keough in a band reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac. While he wasn’t nominated himself, Keough received a nomination for outstanding lead actress in a limited series, Camila Morrone was nominated for supporting actress, and the show received a nod for outstanding limited series.
While author Taylor Jenkins Reid has not penned a sequel to the source novel, Claflin shared that he has already presented a pitch for Season 2 to producers Lauren Levy Neustadter and Scott Neustadter.
While he admitted that they “were all drunk” at the time, Claflin holds out hope that the story of “Daisy Jones” has not yet concluded.
He said, “I will keep pushing because I love the character. I love the story. I love the time that we’re depicting. I hope there’s an opportunity.”
Watch Sam Claflin’s full red carpet interview above.
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