Ralph Fiennes cast as President Snow in 'Hunger Games'

Ralph Fiennes has been officially cast as President

Coriolanus Snow

in the upcoming

Hunger Games

prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, marking a powerful addition to the star-studded ensemble of the sixth instalment in the blockbuster franchise.The 62-year-old British actor, known for his roles in The Conclave and the Harry Potter series, becomes the third actor to portray the infamous Panem dictator. He follows the late Donald Sutherland, who originated the role in the original Hunger Games films, and Tom Blyth, who played a young Snow in the 2023 prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.“We wanted to honour Donald Sutherland by having one of this generation’s greatest actors play President Snow,” said producer Nina Jacobson in a statement confirming Fiennes' casting, as reported by E! News. According to reports, Sunrise on the Reaping takes place 40 years after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and 24 years before the events of the original 2012 Hunger Games movie, where Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen enters the arena. Ralph is touted to bring on a performance that is both "chilling and captivating."

Reacting to the news of the actor's casting, actress Rachel Zegler, who played Lucy Gray Baird, Snow's love interest in the film series, commented, “not my movie ex being voldemort.”

Fans also hailed the actor's casting calling him the 'ultimate movie villain'. Scroll below to see what they had to say:

Set for release on 20 November 2026, Sunrise on the Reaping is adapted from Suzanne Collins’ latest novel and is set during the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The plot centres on a 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy—portrayed in the original series by Woody Harrelson—who is chosen as a tribute and goes on to win the Games in a dramatic and fateful turn. The younger version of Haymitch will be played by rising actor Joseph Zada.Joining Fiennes in the Hunger Games saga are Whitney Peak, Jesse Plemons, McKenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Lili Taylor.