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

Ralph Fiennes has been cast as President Coriolanus Snow in Lionsgate’s upcoming film adaptation, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The news was officially confirmed through the franchise's official Hunger Games X/Twitter account, marking one of the most anticipated casting announcements for the new installment.

Ralph Fiennes. Image credit: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage.

Known for his roles in The Conclave and the Harry Potter series, Fiennes steps into a pivotal role that requires both gravitas and nuance. His portrayal will depict President Snow further along in his timeline than Tom Blyth’s version seen in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, yet still before the events of the original Hunger Games films starring Jennifer Lawrence.

Set after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes but before the original four-film saga, Sunrise on the Reaping offers a deeper look into the world of Panem through the lens of District 12’s tribute and future victor, Haymitch Abernathy. Producer Nina Jacobson expressed her excitement about the casting:

“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 universe.”

Fiennes joins a growing list of notable names already announced for the film. Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad, Civil War) is set to portray a younger version of Plutarch Heavensbee, originally played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Joseph Zada (Total Control, Invisible Boys) will take on the role of Haymitch Abernathy, whose story is central to this next chapter.

President Snow.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping – in theaters November 20, 2026.
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Based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel of the same name, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping continues the expansion of the dystopian world first introduced in the bestselling book series. Francis Lawrence, who directed three of the original four films, returns to helm the project. Billy Ray, screenwriter of the first Hunger Games movie, is penning the script.

The film was announced last summer and recently released its first teaser trailer this April, building momentum toward its scheduled theatrical release on November 20, 2026.