Ralph Fiennes has been selected to portray President Coriolanus Snow in Lionsgate's latest adaptation from the Hunger Games series, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. This exciting casting news was shared through the official Hunger Games X/Twitter account. Fiennes, known for his roles in The Conclave and the Harry Potter series, steps into one of the most crucial roles in the upcoming film.
Sunrise on the Reaping is set in the timeline between the four Hunger Games films featuring Jennifer Lawrence and the 2023 prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The prequel showcased a young Snow, portrayed by Tom Blyth, as he evolved into the hardened dictator played by the late Donald Sutherland in the original series. Fiennes will depict Snow at a pivotal moment in his life, during the story of District 12's tribute and future victor, Haymitch Abernathy.
Producer Nina Jacobson expressed her excitement 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 major draw for fans eagerly anticipating The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, he's not the only notable casting. Other exciting additions to the cast include Jesse Plemons (revealed to be playing a young version of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Plutarch Heavensbee) and Joseph Zada (who will star as Haymitch), both of whom have garnered significant attention.
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 the 2025 novel by Suzanne Collins and is slated for 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 project was announced last summer, followed by a teaser trailer released in April of this year.
