The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping gets a new set image, providing a first look at the new President Snow, played by Ralph Fiennes. Based on the latest Suzanne Collins novel, the upcoming Hunger Games movie is yet another prequel, this time taking place during the 50th iteration of the titular contest.
The Sunrise on the Reaping story will spotlight a younger Haymitch as the main character, with Joseph Zada taking over the role from Woody Harrelson. This isn’t the only character recast, with Kieran Culkin playing Caesar Flickerman, Ella Fanning playing Effie Trinket, Jesse Plemons playing Plutarch Heavensbee, and Fiennes taking over as Snow for the late Donald Sutherland.
Up until now, it wasn’t clear how Fiennes would make the Snow role his own in Sunrise on the Reaping, but a since-deleted TikTok video from @mira.pdf55 (via @itchyhaybitchy) finally unveils the character’s new look. The character reveal comes via a propaganda-style poster on the set, with Fiennes seemingly wearing a wig to recreate Sutherland’s flowing hairstyle.
Text on the poster reads: “Our President Coriolanus Snow: Panem’s No. 1 Peacekeeper.” The poster shows Snow in military dress garb with what might be a sword at his side, standing heroically in front of a city skyline. The poster hangs in front of a brick building facade next to some kind of industrial propane tank.
Click here to see the Sunrise on the Reaping set photo.
What This Means For Sunrise On The Reaping
Though Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen was obviously the main character in previous Hunger Games movies, Sutherland’s Snow loomed large over the story as the overarching antagonist. A younger snow then returned in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes prequel movie in 2023, with Tom Blyth playing him.
Fiennes’ take on Snow in Sunrise on the Reaping is evidently the next evolution of the character, catching up with him in late middle age. Sutherland’s version of President Snow had all white hair, while Fiennes’ wig in the image seems to include dark hair with long white streaks, speaking to the film’s timeline.
The poster itself and its clear presentation as a propaganda tool suggests the state will once again be twisting events into a narrative that allows it to retain total control. Snow’s framing as a Peacekeeper could also be a sign that he will play a more active antagonist role this time around, instead of operating more as an evil figurehead.
The previous Hunger Games movies were generally all well-received, and Snow ended up being one of Sutherland’s most notable roles in the latter half of his career. This evidently means Fiennes has big shoes to fill, but he’s no stranger to playing big villains himself, having given life to Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies.
Our Take On The Sunrise On The Reaping Set Photo
While obviously it would be interesting to see Fiennes himself as Snow, rather than just his image on a poster, the actor is certainly looking the part. It could be exciting for Sunrise on the Reaping to lean into a new take on Snow, somewhere between the impulsive anti-hero he was in Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the sinister puppet master he was in the Katniss saga.
Some of the wind has already been taken out of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping‘s sails just due to its status as a prequel; we already know what happens to Snow and most other characters. That doesn’t mean, however, it can’t fill in some narrative gaps in compelling ways, including fleshing out the franchise’s standout villain.
- Release Date
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November 20, 2026
- Director
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Francis Lawrence
- Writers
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Billy Ray
- Producers
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Brad Simpson
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Joseph Zada
Haymitch Abernathy
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Whitney Peak
Lenore Dove Baird
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Mckenna Grace
Maysilee Donner
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