Ralph Fiennes Cast as President Snow in The Hunger Games Prequel

Ralph Fiennes has been selected to portray President Coriolanus Snow in Lionsgate's newest adaptation of a novel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The announcement was made today via the official Hunger Games X/Twitter account, adding Fiennes to an eagerly anticipated cast list and giving him one of the most pivotal roles to embody.

Set between the events of the four Hunger Games films featuring Jennifer Lawrence and the 2023 prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Sunrise on the Reaping delves into the life of President Snow at a crucial juncture. While Tom Blyth played a young Snow in the earlier prequel, and Donald Sutherland portrayed the character in the original series, Fiennes will step into Snow's shoes during a period that focuses on District 12 tribute Haymitch Abernathy, who eventually becomes a Hunger Games victor.

Producer Nina Jacobson expressed her excitement about Fiennes joining the franchise, 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 Ralph Fiennes' casting may be one of the most eagerly awaited announcements for Sunrise on the Reaping, he is not the only notable addition. Jesse Plemons, known for his roles in Breaking Bad and Civil War, has been revealed to play a young version of Philip Seymour Hoffman's character, Plutarch Heavensbee. Additionally, Joseph Zada, recognized from Total Control and Invisible Boys, will 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 adapts Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel of the same name and is slated for a theatrical release on November 20, 2026. Returning director Francis Lawrence will helm the project, working from a screenplay by original Hunger Games writer Billy Ray. The film was announced last summer, with a teaser trailer released in April of this year.