Another Hunger Games novel is already among upcoming book adaptations in the form of the latest book, Sunrise on the Reaping. Unfortunately for the cast we got to know in the last prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, it’ll once again tackle another period in history for the fictional dystopian world of Panem. Sure, it’s a bit of a bummer for Tom Blyth, who embodied President Snow as a teenager so well, but what are the actor’s thoughts on getting replaced by Ralph Fiennes?
Back in May, it was announced that Ralph Fiennes would be playing a middle-aged President Snow amidst a star-studded cast of Sunrise on the Reaping stars. Here’s Tom Blyth’s thoughts on the casting:
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.’
In an interview with ScreenRant, Blyth shared his excitement for the next Hunger Games movie starring fan favorite Haymitch during his games at the 50th Quarter Quell. He’s admittedly on the outside this time around, but he’s very much willing to step aside for the actor behind Voldemort to take the reins. He also said this:
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.
It’s a great response especially considering that Ralph Fiennes is a highly decorated actor who has been nominated for an Oscar three times, along with winning accolades from the BAFTAs and Tonys. While Blyth is definitely in acceptance of the scenario, he also has some hope for his version of the character returning at some point. Then there’s the time when he asked to be part of Sunrise on the Reaping. As he added:
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.’ 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.
Tom Blyth is 30 years old, whereas the character should be around 58 during the events of Sunrise on the Reaping. So there would have needed to be some intense prosthetics for Snow if Blyth had been cast in the role again.
It’s kind of fun that we’ll now get to see three iterations of the Panem leader across time, and of course Fiennes is going to do an incredible job of taking on the role that he’s called “very complex.”Sunrise on the Reaping is currently in production. A first look at Fiennes’ President Snow recently surfaced via a set photo (via X) of a propaganda poster featuring the actor in the role.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is being directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed every other Hunger Games movie except for the first one. You can mark your calendars for its release on November 20, 2026.
