Ralph Fiennes’ New Look as President Snow and Jesse Plemons’ Plutarch Heavensbee Revealed in Chilling ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ Character Posters

Every great dystopian saga needs a villain you can’t look away from, and Panem’s President Snow has always been exactly that. His white rose, silver hair and soft-spoken menace made him one of modern cinema’s most recognizable tyrants. For fans of the franchise, the question has never been whether he would return, but who would wear the cravat next.

Donald Sutherland played Snow in all four of the original films, and Tom Blyth took over as the younger version in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘. Now Ralph Fiennes has been handed the role for the next prequel, ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’. That makes this one of the franchise’s most intriguing casting moves.

Fans have already had a taste. A propaganda-style poster spotted on set last year showed Fiennes’ Snow, seemingly wearing a wig to recreate Sutherland’s flowing hairstyle, under the slogan “Panem’s #1 Peacekeeper”. It looked a little more militaristic than previous versions, and the response was enthusiastic.

Now the film has delivered a proper look. Lionsgate has released a new character poster of Fiennes as President Snow, framing his face in a tight close-up. White roses and thorny vines curl around the edges, while his long, swept-back white hair and piercing blue eyes do the rest. The tagline confirms the film arrives in theaters and IMAX on November 20.

Fiennes is playing the character at a very specific point in his life. In ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’, Snow is in his late 50s, long before he rules Panem for decades. That makes him a slightly younger version of the man Sutherland played, which is reportedly how Fiennes sees the role.

Fiennes has acknowledged that stepping in for Sutherland means big shoes to fill. He has also said Sutherland brought wonderful complexity to the part. The roses on the poster nod to the villain’s famous trademark, which he famously used to communicate with Katniss.

The film revisits Panem 24 years before the events of ‘The Hunger Games’. It begins on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The games are supersized, with 100% more contestants than usual.

Joseph Zada plays young Haymitch Abernathy, the role Woody Harrelson made famous. According to the logline, Haymitch forms an unlikely alliance with fellow tribute Maysilee Donner, played by Mckenna Grace. They join a coalition determined to challenge the Capitol’s control under Snow.

An earlier trailer opened with Haymitch sitting across from Snow, who makes it clear he knows a thing or two about him. That includes his love for Lenore Dove Baird, played by Whitney Peak. It’s a tense setup for the villain’s face-to-face scenes.

The supporting cast is packed with talent. Elle Fanning plays a young Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin is Caesar Flickerman, and Jesse Plemons takes on Plutarch Heavensbee. Glenn Close plays Drusilla Sickle, while Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lili Taylor, Billy Porter and Ben Wang round out the ensemble. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are also listed in the cast.

Behind the camera, Francis Lawrence returns to direct from a screenplay by Billy Ray. The movie is based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel, with Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and Lawrence producing. Principal photography took place from July to November 2025 across locations in Spain and Germany.

Witness the beginning of the revolution. #TheHungerGames: Sunrise on the Reaping – in theaters & IMAX November 20. https://t.co/fKCrWXIk3T

— The Hunger Games (@TheHungerGames) September 16, 2026

The film is the sixth installment in the franchise, which began back in 2012. It is rated PG-13 and carries a listed runtime of 2 hours 30 minutes. With the release date now just over a month away, the marketing push is clearly heating up.

Fiennes’ poster suggests the film wants audiences to feel the weight of Snow’s presence. He appears calm and polished, which is exactly what makes him dangerous. If the movie delivers on that promise, this could be one of the franchise’s most memorable villain turns.

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