Ralph Fiennes Cast as President Snow in THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING
Ralph Fiennes is stepping into the shoes of President Coriolanus Snow in the upcoming film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest installment in Lionsgate’s blockbuster franchise based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling novels.
Following his Oscar-nominated performance in Conclave, Fiennes joins the dystopian saga as a younger, power-hungry Snow, set decades before Katniss Everdeen ever drew her bow.
The role was famously portrayed by Donald Sutherland in the original films, and this casting arrives less than a year after Sutherland’s passing in June 2024. Reflecting on the weight of this legacy, producer Nina Jacobson said:
“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.”
The film, set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, takes us back to the infamous 50th Hunger Games—the Second Quarter Quell.
This particular chapter introduces us to 16-year-old Haymitch, described as “a clever and resourceful boy from District 12 who’s unexpectedly chosen for this edition of the games, which will feature a deadly twist: twice the number of tributes, with 48 children sent into the arena to battle for their lives.”
The ensemble cast includes Whitney Peak as Capitol escort Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace stars as Maysilee Donner, and Jesse Plemons joins as Plutarch Heavensbee. Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, and Ben Wang round out the tribute and mentor roster as Beetee, Wiress, Mags, and Wyatt Callow, respectively.
Francis Lawrence, who helmed multiple entries in the franchise including Catching Fire and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, returns to direct from a script by Billy Ray.
With Fiennes now set to redefine one of dystopian fiction’s most infamous villains, fans can expect a chilling new chapter in the world of Panem, where power, as always, demands blood.
The movie is slated for release on November 20, 2026.
Source: Deadline
