Ralph Fiennes, known for his roles in The Conclave and the Harry Potter series, has been cast as President Coriolanus Snow in Lionsgate's latest adaptation, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The announcement was made via the official Hunger Games X/Twitter account, marking another exciting addition to the film's cast.
Set before the events of the four Hunger Games films starring Jennifer Lawrence and following the 2023 prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Sunrise on the Reaping explores a pivotal time in President Snow's life. While Tom Blyth portrayed a young Snow in the earlier prequel, and Donald Sutherland played the character in the 2010s series, Fiennes will depict Snow at a different stage, focusing on the story of District 12's tribute, Haymitch Abernathy.
Producer Nina Jacobson expressed her enthusiasm, 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' casting is highly anticipated, he is not the only exciting addition to the cast. Jesse Plemons, known for his roles in Breaking Bad and Civil War, will portray a young version of Plutarch Heavensbee, previously played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Additionally, Joseph Zada, recognized from Total Control and Invisible Boys, has been cast 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 set to hit theaters on November 20, 2026. The film will be directed by series veteran Francis Lawrence, with a screenplay penned by original Hunger Games writer Billy Ray. The movie was announced last summer, and a teaser trailer was released this past April.
