The first trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes dropped on this week and gave viewers a first look at Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman. If his name sounds familiar, it is likely because he shares a last name with Caesar Flickerman, the long-time host of the Hunger Games, who interviews the tributes, including Katniss and Peeta, of the 74th and 75th Hunger Games. He later also interviews Peeta during his captivity in the Capitol in the final book, Mockingjay.
It is never confirmed if Lucky is related to Caesar, but given their shared last name, it’s assumed that Lucky is an ancestor of his. In the trailer, Lucky doesn’t look as flamboyant as Caesar (Stanley Tucci) does in The Hunger Games film series. However, he definitely does stand out with his velvet suit and carefully styled mustache and hairdo. He also introduces himself as the “first-ever host of the Hunger Games.” This means Lucky may have started a tradition of having a Flickerman host the Hunger Games from the 10th Games to the 75th Games. Here’s what you need to know about Lucky in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Who is Lucky Flickerman?
In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Lucky is a weathercaster for the Capitol who gets tapped to host the 10th Hunger Games. The Hunger Games had never had a host before this, as the Capitol was still recovering from its war with the Districts and the Games hadn’t yet become a spectacle. However, by instilling a host, starting the mentor program with Capitol students, and taking suggestions for improvements to the Games, Head Gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul sought to commercialize them a bit. As a result, Lucky went from a weathercaster to the first Hunger Games host.
Lucky was first assigned to interview all of the cooperating tributes. He didn’t quite have Caesar’s knack for making the tributes feel comfortable and turning the weakest answers into intriguing ones. However, he did know when to sit back and let the tributes show off their skills, such as letting Lucy Gray Baird sing during her interview. He was subsequently put in charge of hosting the Games, which included describing the new sponsorship and betting systems, as well as attempting to provide commentary to make up for some of the slower moments of the Games.
Given the newness of the role, Lucky wasn’t always the best at hosting/interviewing. At times, he embarrassed himself while talking to the more proud and prestigious Capitol authorities, such as Dr. Gaul and Dean Highbottom. When he failed to find the right words or found himself in an awkward situation, he would resort to silly magic tricks or bring his pet parrot Jubilee on stage to talk to the audience. At times, he was more of the comic relief of the book and also encompassed the flamboyancy and eccentricity of some of the Capitol residents. Ultimately, he did a good enough job hosting that Dr. Gaul indicated he would continue to hold the role.
In The Hunger Games, it was revealed that Caesar had been hosting for 40 years by the time of the 74th Hunger Games. Perhaps, Lucky hosted from the 10th to the 34th Games before the role was taken over by his son or nephew, Caesar. It remains to be seen if The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will confirm Lucky’s relation to Caesar and how long his stint as host lasted.
(featured image: Lionsgate)
