Ralph Fiennes Cast as President Snow in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Ralph Fiennes has been cast to portray President Coriolanus Snow in Lionsgate's latest adaptation from the Hunger Games series, titled The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. This exciting news was shared via the official Hunger Games X/Twitter account, marking Fiennes as a key addition to the eagerly anticipated film.

Ralph Fiennes. Image credit Daniele Venturelli/WireImage.

Sunrise on the Reaping is set in the timeline between the four original Hunger Games films, which starred Jennifer Lawrence, and the 2023 prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The latter showcased a young Snow, portrayed by Tom Blyth, evolving into the ruthless dictator that Donald Sutherland depicted in the earlier series. Fiennes' portrayal will focus on a mid-life Snow, during the events surrounding District 12 tribute and future victor, Haymitch Abernathy.

Producer Nina Jacobson expressed her 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' announcement is a major highlight, he joins an already impressive cast. Jesse Plemons, known for his roles in Breaking Bad and Civil War, will play a younger version of the character originally portrayed by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Plutarch Heavensbee. Additionally, Joseph Zada, recognized from Total Control and Invisible Boys, has been cast as Haymitch Abernathy.

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 adapts Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel of the same name and is set to hit theaters on November 20, 2026. The film is directed by series veteran Francis Lawrence, with the screenplay penned by original Hunger Games writer Billy Ray. The project was first announced last summer, followed by a teaser trailer released in April.