The recast of President Coriolanus Snow for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is a sad reminder of Donald Sutherland. In the four original Hunger Games movies, Sutherland played the role of the villainous President Snow. His performance is widely considered to be among the best in the movies through his ability to capture the character’s cruelty, manipulative nature, air of superiority, and how much he revels in the suffering of others.

The latest Hunger Games book, Sunrise on the Reaping, expands President Snow’s story during the second Quarter Quell, which is the Hunger Games that Haymitch Abernathy goes on to win. Like all the other previous books, it is being adapted into a movie. The Sunrise on the Reaping cast now includes Ralph Fiennes in the role of President Snow, which is a promising casting choice while also being a sad reminder of Donald Sutherland’s pᴀssing.

Donald Sutherland Pᴀssed Away Last Year, Before Sunrise On The Reaping’s Movie Started Casting

He Pᴀssed Away Shortly After Sunrise On The Reaping’s Initial Announcement

Sunrise on the Reaping‘s casting of President Snow is a reminder of Sutherland pᴀssing away on June 20, 2024. From M*A*S*H to The Hunger Games, Sutherland had an extensive, diverse, and impressive career, and his pᴀssing was a tragic loss. It happened only two weeks after the initial announcement that Suzanne Collins would be writing Sunrise on the Reaping and that there would be a movie adaptation as well. With the book not releasing until March 18, 2025, casting had not started at the time of Sutherland’s pᴀssing, and only began after the novel’s release.

Sunrise On The Reaping Was Always Likely To Recast President Snow (Again)

The Timeline Necessitated Another Recast

Snow was already recast for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, with Tom Blyth playing the role in The Hunger Games timeline 64 years before the events of the first book and movie. The prequel tells the story of Snow shaping the Hunger Games into the spectacle that it will become, along with beginning to chart the course to becoming the dictator of Panem. Sunrise on the Reaping is another prequel, but with it being set 24 years before the 74th Hunger Games won by Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, another recast was always likely, even before Sutherland’s tragic pᴀssing.

Some of Sutherland’s dialogue as President Snow was incorporated into The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes‘ ending, which features him saying the line “It’s the things we love most that destroy us,” which is first heard in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. There is still a possibility of Sutherland’s previous Snow dialogue being incorporated into the Sunrise on the Reaping movie in a similar way, or the adaptation may find other unique ways to honor the actor’s enduring legacy despite the inevitable recast.

How Ralph Fiennes’ President Snow Casting Still Honors Donald Sutherland

Fiennes’ Casting Was Decided With Sutherland’s Legacy In Mind

Prior to Fiennes’ casting being confirmed, Kiefer Sutherland was widely considered to be the perfect President Snow recasting that would honor Donald Sutherland’s Hunger Games legacy. The decision to cast Fiennes was still made with Sutherland in mind, though, with producer Nina Jacobson explaining that they wanted to honor Sutherland by casting one of this generation’s greatest actors. Jacobson also mentioned the lasting impact Fiennes’ Schindlier’s List performance left on her, which makes him well-suited to play another iconic villain. Read her comments below:

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. 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.

Sutherland was already one of the best actors in Hollywood for several decades before he made his Hunger Games debut. Between Schindler’s List, the Harry Potter movies, The Menu, Conclave, and many other notable films, Fiennes has been similarly iconic in his career. Amon Göth and Voldemort are two of cinema’s most memorable villains, and now Fiennes will add yet another one to his repertoire as Snow, who has some of his most villainous moments yet in The Hunger Games: The Sunrise on the Reaping.