The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesactor Tom Blyth addresses his potential return as Coriolanus Snow inThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Following the success of the first prequel in 2023, a newHunger Gamesmovie is confirmed to be on the way. Adapting the events of Collins' upcoming book,Sunrise on the Reaping’s storytakes place 24 years before the story of Katniss Everdeen during the 50th Hunger Games, which featured Haymitch Abernathy competing. No casting information for the prequel has yet been revealed.
During a recent interview withVariety, Blyth comments on whether he will be reprising his role as Snow forThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The actor confirms thataudiences shouldn’t expect to see him back as Snow or Rachel Zegler back as Lucy Gray Baird, largely due to the prequel being set nearly five decades after the events ofBallad of Songbirds and Snakes. Check out Blyth’s full comment below:
“Rachel [Zegler]and I are not going to be in this one because the next one takes place 45 years after ours did. It makes me sad because I miss everyone involved. I did text Francis the other day, and he said, ‘I miss you.’ And I said, ‘Well, prosthetics are really great these days. It wouldn’t be that hard to make me look 65.’”
What Blyth’s Update Means For Sunrise On The Reaping
The Hunger Games Prequel’s Story Questions Explained
So far, relatively little is known aboutSunrise on the Reaping. Franchise veteran Francis Lawrence, who has directed everyHunger GamesmoviesinceCatching Firein 2013, is confirmed to be returning to the director’s chair once again for the upcoming prequel, meaningit will likely feature the same general visual aesthetic as the recent installments. The fact that Collins' source material hasn’t been released yet means there isn’t actually any concrete story information to go off of for the new movie.
The Hunger Games Franchise’s Complete Timeline Explained
The Hunger Games franchise contains five movies, and their timeline spans decades, capturing the early iterations of the Games and their eventual end.
Haymitch competed in the 50th Hunger Games, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will beThe Sunrise on the Reaping’s main character. Audiences, after all, already know what becomes of him. It’s not clear how prominently Snow will feature in the narrative, but he would be in his early 60s during the events of the film. Considering Blyth is 29, this would obviously be quite a stretch.If Snow does appear in the movie, he will likely be played by yet another actor, with original Snow actor Donald Sutherland having passed away last year.
Sutherland played Snow across the first four movies in the franchise, withThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2marking his final outing as the villainous Panem President.
Our Take On Blyth’s Sunrise On The Reaping Update
Recasting Snow Will Be A Challenge
Reviews forThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakeswere generally positive, though somewhat lukewarm, from critics, with praise aimed at the movie’s cast and action. Both Blyth and Zegler were standout performers in the film, but it makes sense that they’re not returning. In addition to the timeline issues,Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird also gets a mysterious ending that is perhaps left untouched.
As for who will be next to play Snow, they will clearly have some big shoes to fill. Playing the character in his 60s will be relatively close to Sutherland’s version of the character, and comparisons will be inevitable. With the novel forThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingset to hit shelves on June 23, 2025, more information about the prequel movie isn’t far off.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Cast
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping explores the dystopian world of Panem 24 years prior to Katniss Everdeen’s story. This prequel focuses on the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, unveiling the origins of crucial events and traditions in the series.
