"The Hunger Games" book trilogy has sold more than 80 million copies. The movies have grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide. The next logical step would be to stage a live theater production.
The film studio Lionsgate announced plans to do just that in summer 2016. The studio will team up with Dutch media company Imagine Nation and U.S. based Triangular Entertainment to mount a "Hunger Games" theater production.
The entertainment companies will use "innovative and immersive staging techniques" to tell the story of Katniss Everdeen and her survival in "the Hunger Games" that forces teenagers to fight against each other until one remains alive. Award-winning Broadway producer Robin de Levita will produce the show set to launch in a new purpose-built theater constructed next to Wembley Stadium in London.
"Robin de Levita and the entire production team are the perfect partners for extending 'The Hunger Games franchise into a live theatrical experience," Lionsgate Chief Marketing Officer Tim Palen said in a statement. "Their creative genius, combined with world-class production values and state-of-the-art technology will provide a uniquely immersive experience for fans around the world."
De Levita recently created two productions with rotating stages. Audiences for the Dutch musical "Soldier of Orange" sit in a 360-degree rotating auditorium that turns from set to set. He also staged the first authorized play in 55 years based on "The Diary of the Anne Frank" that used rotating life-sized stage sets.
"I'm thrilled to be partnering with an innovative next generation studio like Lionsgate on a property that resonates so deeply with global audiences," De Levita said. "The theater is a fantastic medium to bring the many meaningful layers of Suzanne Collins' writing for life."
On the cinematic front, the first part of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" will open in theaters on Nov. 21. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson.
