Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) will play the villainous President Snow, ruthless dictator of Panem, in Lionsgate‘s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

The role was previously played by Donald Sutherland, who passed away in June 2024, aged 88.

“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,” said producer Nina Jacobson of Color Force. “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.”

Others in the cast include Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Lili Taylor as Mags, and Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow.

The adaptation of the bestselling book by Suzanne Collins takes place 40 years after the events of prequel The Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes and 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s time in the arena.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is being directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay adaptation by Billy Ray. It is produced by Color Force’s Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson. Cameron MacConomy will executive produce.

It is slated for release November 20, 2026.