Ralph Fiennes to Star as President Snow in New Hunger Games Film

Ralph Fiennes has been cast as President Coriolanus Snow in Lionsgate's upcoming adaptation The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

The official Hunger Games social media accounts confirmed the Harry Potter and The Conclave star's involvement today. Fiennes joins an impressive roster of casting announcements, tasked with portraying one of the franchise's most pivotal characters.

Set chronologically between 2023's The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the original Hunger Games trilogy, Sunrise on the Reaping focuses on Haymitch Abernathy's Hunger Games victory while featuring an older version of Snow than Tom Blyth's origin-story portrayal but younger than Donald Sutherland's incarnation from the original films.

"We sought to pay tribute to Donald Sutherland's iconic performance by casting one of our greatest contemporary actors," producer Nina Jacobson stated. "Ralph Fiennes has been on my wishlist since his unforgettable role in Schindler's List. It's an honor to welcome him to Panem."

While Fiennes' casting generates significant excitement, other notable additions include Jesse Plemons as a younger Plutarch Heavensbee (originally played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) and newcomer Joseph Zada as the young 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

Adapted from Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping arrives in theaters November 20, 2026. Franchise veteran Francis Lawrence directs from a screenplay by original Hunger Games writer Billy Ray. The project was officially announced last year following the prequel's success, with a teaser trailer released this April.