Mumbai, Aug 4 (IANS): Francis Lawrence, the director of the fifth installment of the cult-favorite 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes', has opened up on his choice to cast Rachel Zegler as Lucy in the film. He also spoke about the four-hour meeting between the two.

The film is a dystopian science fiction action thriller film with screenplay written by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. It is based on the 2020 novel 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins'.

The film stars an ensemble cast including Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer and Tom Blythe.

Talking about casting Rachel Zegler, Francis Lawrence said, "I mean, you know, the thing is, she's one of the most talented young actresses out there right now. But, you know, the character of Lucy Gray is a really tricky one, right? Because she's a mercurial character".

He further mentioned, "So she's emotional, but she's also damaged, and she's lived quite a lot more honestly than the character of Snow has. But she also has to be a fantastic singer. And you know, Rachel's a phenomenal singer. And so, yeah, we sat down and talked about the character and talked about the books and just had a fantastic meeting."

Lionsgate and PVRINOX Pictures will release 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' in theaters in India on November 17.