President Snow Hunger Games US election night
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President Snow’s The Hunger Games broadcast interrupted US election night, and it’s so clever

'Break the machine'

Suchismita Ghosh
4th November 2026, 12:29
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Lionsgate has taken its marketing campaign for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping to another level, with President Snow appearing on American TV during US election night coverage.

Ralph Fiennes, who plays Snow in the upcoming prequel, appeared in a special in-universe video shown during CNN and Fox News’ Election Night coverage. And I can’t explain how happy this makes me. The campaign is getting more creative with every new promo, and this one feels particularly fitting for the world of The Hunger Games.

President Snow appears during Election Night coverage

The video aired during CNN’s Election Night in America coverage, making it look as though Snow was delivering an official address from the Capitol.

If you’ve seen the clip, you’ll know just how much it feels like an actual broadcast interrupting the election coverage. That’s what makes the promo so effective. Snow’s broadcast looked like an official announcement from the Capitol, while the glitching and interruption bring to mind the way District 13 hijacked these broadcasts to share messages about the uprising.

At one point, Snow says, “But good always triumphs over…” before the broadcast glitches. We then get a glimpse of Haymitch clapping, followed by the words “break the machine”.

Sunrise on the Reaping feels more relevant now than ever, and this latest promo makes that connection even more interesting.

Capitol TV has been building the campaign for months

This isn’t the first time Lionsgate has used an in-universe broadcast to promote the film. Back in August, the studio launched Capitol TV, introducing it as “Panem’s source of truth”.

The first video featured a 90-second announcement from President Snow, who addressed the people of Panem and spoke about the Dark Days and the Reaping. It was a clever way to bring the world of the films into real life.

Jennifer Lawrence also shared a voting-related post yesterday featuring the quote “Don’t forget who burns with us”, alongside Katniss’ iconic three-finger salute.

There have also been promotional posters featuring Fiennes as “Panem’s No. 1 Peacekeeper”, with the slogan “No Peace, No Prosperity”. Some of the campaign’s posters have even been spotted in front of the White House.

I know Suzanne Collins is proud.

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