In a casting decision that feels like it came straight from a dark wizard’s wand, The Hunger Games franchise just made a seismic announcement: Ralph Fiennes, the Oscar-nominated titan of stage and screen, will portray the infamous President Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. And if anyone had thoughts about the casting, it was Rachel Zegler, who played Lucy Gray Baird opposite Snow in the 2023 prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Her reaction? A hilariously unfiltered Instagram post: “not my movie ex being voldemort.”
Yes, Rachel. Yes, he is.
A Dark Wizard Returns To Panem
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate has officially tapped Fiennes to embody the brutal, serpentine dictator in Sunrise on the Reaping, the highly anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ new novel. Once again helmed by franchise veteran Francis Lawrence, the film will be released theatrically on November 20, 2026.
Fiennes succeeds the late, great Donald Sutherland, who originated the chilling role of Snow in the original four Hunger Games films. And let’s say if there’s any actor who can follow Sutherland’s menacing charm with equal gravitas, it’s the man who brought Lord Voldemort to life and gave multiple generations of lifelong nightmares.
Ziegler’s Iconic Shade
Ziegler, who starred alongside Tom Blyth’s young Snow in Ballad, didn’t miss the opportunity to poke fun at the transition from teenage tyrant to a full-blown despot. Her cheeky post quickly lit up social media, with fans fawning over the perfect crossover between the Wizarding World and the Capitol. “This is cinema,” one user declared. Another quipped, “Lucy Gray really dodged two bullets: Snow AND Voldemort.”
Zegler’s off-screen commentary cements what fans already know: she is the moment.
From He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to He-Who-Rules-With-Terror
Fiennes brings an unparalleled intensity to villainous roles. A three-time Academy Award nominee, he most recently earned acclaim for his performance in Conclave and is slated to appear in Nicholas Hytner’s The Choral and Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later. Lionsgate sends a clear message with this casting: they’re not playing around.
Producer Nina Jacobson, who has shepherded the franchise from the beginning, said it best:
“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,” she told THR. “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.”
Welcome Back to Hell: The 50th Hunger Games
Sunrise on the Reaping returns audiences to the brutal world of Panem, this time focusing on the 50th Hunger Games, aka the Second Quarter Quell, where double the tributes mean double the bloodshed. The story is set 24 years before the original Hunger Games novel and explores Snow’s rise to absolute power.
The newly unveiled cast is a dazzling who’s who of rising and established talent, including:
- Joseph Zada
- Whitney Peak
- Mckenna Grace
- Jesse Plemons
- Kelvin Harrison Jr.
- Maya Hawke
- Lili Taylor
- Ben Wang
Billy Ray, who previously co-wrote Captain Phillips and Richard Jewell, penned the script. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson return to produce under their Color Force banner, while Cameron MacConomy executive produces.
Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien oversee the film for Lionsgate, and Phil Strina negotiated the deal that sealed Fiennes’ fate as the Capitol’s deadliest rose.
The Hunger Games Empire Keeps Thriving
Since Jennifer Lawrence first touched the bow in 2012’s The Hunger Games, the franchise has gone on to make over $3.3 billion worldwide. With a cultural effect as sensational as it is deadly, the series continues to expand and evolve without ever becoming stale.
If Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes reminded us where Snow began, Sunrise on the Reaping will show us how far he’ll fall. With Ralph Fiennes portraying him, we get ready for a dictator who is terrifying and maybe even tragic.
Be ready to salute the man who evolved from Avada Kedavra to Let the Games Begin.
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