'The Hunger Games,' 'Divergent' inspire Lionsgate to create theme park in Atlanta and China
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The Hunger Games train does not stop once Mockingjay Part 2 debuts in theaters this Nov. 20. In fact, fans of the books and film franchise have something to look forward to in the coming years, as Lionsgate, the studio behind the wildly successful string of movies, is already planning theme park exhibits based on Hunger Games and several other films, Entertainment Weekly reports.
While The Hunger Games may seem a bit off for a family theme park with the books and films' themes of violence and war, there are some parts of that world that Lionsgate execs believe could be turned into a positive and entertaining experience for theme park goers.
"The more we thought about it, the more we realized there was a major opportunity," Lionsgate chief brand officer Tim Palen told the New York Times. "Not just to create something smart and captivating that ‘Hunger Games’ fans would love, but to bring all of our franchises alive in new ways."
According to Palen, they plan to build roller coasters and other rides based on the Hunger Games movies in the United States and in China. They also are working on a previously announced Hunger Games stage show in London and a Lionsgate zone located at a $3 billion entertainment complex between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which is still undergoing construction.
Lionsgate has also licensed The Hunger Games and several other films to developers who are planning to build Avatron Smart Park, an entertainment destination near Atlanta. Avatron's vice chairman James Ram commented, "There are so many positives about these movies, starting with the fact that she’s an empowered young woman."
EW reports that Hunger Games attractions may include Katniss Everdeen's mining town, Peeta Mellark's bakery, and roller coaster rides based on the films' Capitol trains. Panem said they
are also looking into creating a simulator-style ride like Disney's Star Tours attraction, that will take fans through a hovercraft tour of Panem.
The Hunger Games isn't the only film that's getting a theme park treatment, as Lionsgate is also looking to create attractions based on Step Up, Divergent, Now You See Me, and Twilight.
"As we had more discussions with potential partners and the franchise has continued to grow, we uncovered a wealth of opportunities," Palen said.
Meanwhile, with Mockingjay Part 2 just around the corner, Buzzfeed debuts a new clip showing Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) speaking to Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) about her plot to eliminate President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Watch the clip below. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 opens on November 20.
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2" Exclusive Clip!Watch Katniss announce she's going to kill President Snow in this exclusive clip from "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2."
Posted by BuzzFeed Entertainment on Monday, November 2, 2015