Looks like Voldemort’s traded in dark magic for deadly pageantry—Ralph Fiennes is stepping into the frosty boots of President Coriolanus Snow in Sunrise on the Reaping, the newest Hunger Games prequel that promises more trauma, more tributes, and yes, more Snow.
This time, the Capitol’s eye is fixed on the 50th Hunger Games, a.k.a. the Quarter Quell that left poor Haymitch Abernathy with a broken soul and a drinking problem. Long before Katniss ignited a revolution or Peeta mastered camouflage cake decoration, Haymitch (now played by Joseph Zada) was just a clever teen trying not to die. Woody Harrelson, who originally played the sarcastic, scotch-loving mentor, might finally get some origin-story respect.
Fiennes joins a Capitol-sized ensemble including Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner (Haymitch’s ill-fated ally), Whitney Peak, Ben Wang, and Jesse Plemons—yes, that Jesse Plemons—as a young Plutarch Heavensbee. If you thought the casting of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was impressive, this sequel-prequel is playing a full house.
The late Donald Sutherland made Snow an iconic villain in the original films, while Tom Blyth tackled the teenage tyrant version in Songbirds. Now, producer Nina Jacobson says Fiennes is the perfect heir to the tyranny. “Working with Ralph has been on my bucket list since he traumatized me for life in Schindler’s List,” she said. That’s one way to say “he’s perfect for a dictator role.”
Francis Lawrence, the director responsible for the franchise’s darkest turns (remember the poisoned berries, exploding arena, and Peeta’s hijacked brain?), is back in the director’s chair, with a script by Billy Ray. So yes, expect more metaphorical (and literal) arrows to the heart.
With a release date locked for November 2026, Sunrise on the Reaping might just be the blood-soaked, nostalgia-filled spectacle fans didn’t know they needed. May the prequels be ever in your favor.