Ralph Fiennes has been cast as President Coriolanus Snow in Lionsgate's latest adaptation of the Hunger Games series, titled The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. This exciting news was shared through the official Hunger Games X/Twitter account, marking another significant casting announcement for the upcoming film.
Ralph Fiennes. Image credit: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage.
Sunrise on the Reaping is set in the timeline between the early prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and the main series led by Jennifer Lawrence. The prequel showcased a young Snow, portrayed by Tom Blyth, evolving into the dictator played by the late Donald Sutherland in the original films. Fiennes will portray a mid-life Snow, during the time when Haymitch Abernathy, a District 12 tribute and future victor, is featured prominently in the story.
Producer Nina Jacobson expressed enthusiasm about Fiennes' casting, stating, "We wanted to honor Donald Sutherland by having one of this generation’s greatest actors play President Snow 24 years before Katniss Everdeen entered the arena. Working with Ralph has been on my bucket list since he traumatized me for life in Schindler's List. It’s genuinely a thrill to welcome him to the Hunger Games."
While Fiennes is a highly anticipated addition to the cast, he joins other notable actors announced for the film. Jesse Plemons, known for his roles in Breaking Bad and Civil War, will play a younger version of Plutarch Heavensbee, originally portrayed by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Joseph Zada, from Total Control and Invisible Boys, is set to star as Haymitch.
President Snow.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping – in theaters November 20, 2026. pic.twitter.com/mj9gXk1hTt
— The Hunger Games (@TheHungerGames) May 16, 2025
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel and is slated for a theatrical release on November 20, 2026. The film will be directed by series veteran Francis Lawrence, with the screenplay penned by original Hunger Games writer Billy Ray. The movie was announced last summer, followed by a teaser trailer released in April.
