And it's a sentiment shared by Blyth, who plays a younger version of Panem president Cornelius Snow in the prequel. (Donald Sutherland plays the character in the original films.)

In fact, in a separate interview with E!, the actor praised producers for making "an effort to let this be a moment where we get to experience it for the first time" by separating the prequel cast from the OG. 

"It is such a stand-alone, fresh movie that isn't kind of a follow-on," Blyth explained. "I think they've honored that really sweetly in the way that that's kind of giving a space to experience it fresh."

Rachel Zegler—whose character Lucy Gray Baird is a District 12 tribute, just like Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen—noted that she's somewhat glad she eventually crossed paths with the No Hard Feelings star after production on the prequel had wrapped. "It relieves you of pressure," she shared, "because comparisons are inevitable."