Series and Franchises Catching Fire on Stage, Too

• DATE: November 12, 2014
• POSTED BY: Jessica Koslow
• CATEGORY: Experience

In a May post, Jim wondered why live entertainment wasn’t jumping on the bandwagon of creating a “series” or a “franchise” — unlike movies and books, which “have learned that if you create something that can live beyond a single production, you can do very well and build a very large fan base.” He continued:

So, why then is live entertainment basically one and done? If we love the premise, the setting, the characters and the world created in a piece of live entertainment, isn’t it reasonable to think it could be developed further and that fans would want more?

It’s not just reasonable. It’s almost a no-brainer.

A publicity still from Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games,” starring Jennifer Lawrence

Now, it’s been announced that The Hunger Games is coming to the stage. A theatrical experience aims to open in summer 2016 in a new theater next to Wembley Stadium in London. The same Hollywood Reporter article also reports that Lionsgate is considering a theme park.

While we await these live entertainment options, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, the first of the franchise’s two-part final installment, opens in theaters November 21.

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