Ralph Fiennes is the next actor to ᴀssume the role of President Coriolanus Snow for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and his predecessor has offered his thoughts on the recent recasting. Set to be released in November 2026, the sixth entry in the Hunger Games franchise is set 24 years before the movies starring Jennifer Lawrence.

Initially portrayed by Donald Sutherland, Snow was later played by Billy the Kid star Tom Blyth in the franchise’s 2023 prequel outing, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. However, given that there is a 40-year gap between the 10th and 50th Hunger Games, Fiennes has now been cast as a more age-appropriate version of the character.

Speaking with ScreenRant, Blyth offered his thoughts on Fiennes’ casting, joking that he could teach the veteran actor “a few things.“ The younger Snow actor also suggested that his time in the role may not be over, as author Suzanne Collins could still opt to return to the story of a younger Snow and Tigris. Check out Blyth’s comments below:

Well, you know, I can probably teach him a few things. He’s still on the rise as an actor, yeah, he’s fairly unknown. But, like, I think he’s gonna have a great career. [Laughs] In all seriousness, we don’t know that we’ll never be back. There’s a good chance that Suzanne might choose to write another book that features Snow, and his story, and Tigris and everything. There’s a lot to be explored there.

Blyth went on to express his excitement for the new movie, especially with its focus on a young Haymitch (being played by Joseph Zada). The actor also revealed that he initially approached director Frances Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson with an offer to undergo extensive prosthetic treatment to reprise the role:

But I’m also excited to see this story because Haymitch is obviously a fan favorite, and I, for one, am excited to see this jump ahead and see what his story unfolds. But yeah, when they told me Ralph Fiennes was going to take over the character, I was like, “Okay, cool. I’ll sit this one out.” There was a time where I literally texted Francis Lawrence and Nina Jacobson and said, “Look, I’m happy to go through six hours of prosthetics every morning to make me look like a 55-year-old, 60-year-old man.”

Blyth wrapped up by suggesting that they ultimately made the right decision to recast Fiennes in the role, and he is happy to watch he does with it. Check out his final comments below:

But I think they made the right choice. I think Ralph Fiennes can handle it just fine. I’m always up for a challenge. I like the transformation, but I’m quite happy to sit back and watch a master take over the role.

What Tom Blyth’s Comments Mean For Ralph Fiennes’ President Snow

When Blyth was first cast as the younger version of Donald Sutherland’s Coriolanus Snow, the 64-year gap between the original Hunger Games movies and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes provided him with considerable leeway to establish the role as his own.

Approaching the character at a transformative time in his life, Blyth’s Snow was able to introduce a more pᴀssionate and conflicted version of the eventual ruthless, methodical dictator that Sutherland portrayed. However, Fiennes is stepping into a role that will align far more closely with Sutherland’s time, rather than Blyth’s.

Blyth’s insistence that it was the correct decision to recast the role rather than have him undergo an extensive makeup process to age him up would probably be echoed by many fans. While Blyth succeeded in offering a compelling look at a young Snow, Fiennes is much better positioned to deliver a version of the character closer to the one audiences met first.

Our Take On Ralph Fiennes Becoming The Third President Snow

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​While many major franchises are hesitant to recast key roles, The Hunger Games does not seem to share in those concerns. In addition to Fiennes ᴀssuming the role of Snow, the Sunrise On The Reaping cast will also introduce younger versions of Haymitch, Plutarch Heavensbee, Wiress, Mags, Effie Trinket, and Caesar Flickerman.

As such, Fiennes will not be the only The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping star whose performance is bound to be compared to its predecessor. While he will still likely be interpreted as more similar to Sutherland, he probably owes much to Blyth in paving the way for audiences to accept a new face in this familiar role.