'The Hunger Games' Makes Big Ralph Fiennes Announcement
The Hunger Games franchise has announced that Ralph Fiennes will portray President Snow in the upcoming prequel film, Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
The film is based on Suzanne Collins' novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, and is set to hit theaters November 2026. Set 24 years before the events of the first Hunger Games novel, Sunrise on the Reaping follows 16-year old Haymitch Abernathy and his journey to win the 50th Hunger Games.
In the original Hunger Games trilogy, Haymitch - mentor to Katniss Everdeen - was played by Woody Harrelson. In the upcoming prequel, Australian actor Joseph Zada, will take on a younger, less jaded version of the character. Zada's previous work includes the television series Invisible Boys (2025), Total Control (2024), and the film The Speedway Murders (2023).
The cast has been revealed slowly, with Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. also joining the project.
The announcement of Fiennes' casting was made May 16 on X.
Fans have been vocal in sharing their thoughts.
One user wrote, "THIS IS THE GREATEST CASTING EVER." Another shared, "Ralph Fiennes as President Snow is not just casting - it's a declaration of war on subtlety, mercy, and my emotional stability. This man is about to the rebellion into silence."
Some were disappointed that Keifer Sutherland - the son of Donald Sutherland, who played President Snow in the original trilogy - was not cast.
One commented, "Are you kidding??? So not Kiefer Sutherland who is the spitting image of Donald Sutherland? C'mon"
Fiennes' history of dark and villainous roles - including Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter Series, Amon Goeth in Schindler's List (1993), and Chef Slowik in The Menu (2022) - suggests he is well-suited to play the ruthless and tyrannical President Snow.
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