Lionsgate announced that they will be developing their critical and popular brand of movies, The Hunger Games, into a theme park. I want that to sink in for a moment. Just stop and consider it. I'll wait.
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Hunger Games: The Theme Park. I know their hearts are in the right places, but a theme park? It seems a little...crass. This is a movie centered around a fight to the death between 24 kids, after all. The theme park idea is being considered as part of Lionsgate's desire to expand the franchise into other venues. The studio today announced The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, a traveling museum of props and history about the world of Panem, which will begin summer of 2015 and will be featured in "major museums and institutions" in an effort to promote the fourth film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2.
Lionsgate's Chief Marketing Officer Tim Palen added, "We're thrilled to launch this initiative with the U.S. tour of The Hunger Games exhibition, which celebrates the world of The Hunger Games and offers Hunger Games fans an extensive behind-the-scenes look at the movie-making process." He noted that the exhibits will also be paired with local school curricula, and nearly all aspects of the tour will be interactive.
Let's reread that last section, shall we? "He noted that the exhibits will also be paired with local school curricula, and nearly all aspects of the tour will be interactive." Those are not exactly the words you want to hear together when dealing with a franchise founded on gladiatorial combat between children.
Should that exhibit prove successful, and I have no doubt that it will, Lionsgate will look into creating a Hunger Games based theme park in several territories. Lionsgate reps have said they have already been approached into making it a reality, Variety reports.
Now, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter I can absolutely understand. Magic is awesome. You know what's slightly less awesome? Child murder. Starvation. Being turned into twisted scientific monstrosities and then sent out to kill more children. For all the darkness in Harry Potter, there was still much to be hopeful about. The Hunger Games are great books and good movies, but they don't exactly scream out 'let's hang out in the desiccated hull of the United States and play carnival games all day' to me.
According to the Variety report, Lionsgate will "also explore additional theme park attraction and other location-based entertainment opportunities around the world for The Hunger Games franchise, along with Lionsgate's entire portfolio of branded properties." Get ready for Madea, the exhibition! 80s horror movie remakes: The Experience! And if they can somehow work the Saw films into some sort of interactive puzzle/haunted house feature, I will buy all the tickets.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 will be released in theaters this November 21.