Lionsgate Entertainment Corp. confirmed Monday that The Hunger Games franchise has been licensed for development in the theme park, which will be located in Bartow County about 45 minutes northwest of the city. In the works so far is a “Hunger Games”-themed “Avatron Smart Park” in Atlanta, slated for 2019, and a 237,000-square-foot “experience center” in Hengquin, China, that will include rides and shows connected to six major films”.
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That’s quite the wait, but would be worthwhile for loyal, longtime Hunger Games fans. A theme park based from the blockbuster series is reported to be opening soon. Lions Gate Entertainment CEO Jon Feltheimer got the ball rolling among top executives by suggesting a Disneyland-style ride based on the movie, and Tim Palen, now the studio’s chief brand officer, started brainstorming. They’re also working on creating theme park attractions for Divergent and Now You See Me, neither of which seem like they’re prime material for roller coasters or immersive environments.
If you’re struggling to understand the appeal of a theme park angled around 1) a yearly competition in which children fight and kill each other until only one’s left standing and 2) the subsequent violent, confusing revolution, you’re not alone. Can fans expect Katniss Everdeen to pay a visit at the theme park?
A new report in The New York Times says that Lionsgate, the studio behind the Hunger Games franchise, is diving headfirst into the lucrative but competitive world of theme parks.
“There are so many positives about these movies, starting with the fact that she’s an empowered young woman”, Atlanta developer James Ram said.
The company’s approach is to license the film properties to external developers rather than developing the parks themselves.
Actors Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth attend Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” Hand and Footprint Ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre on October 31, 2015 in Hollywood, California.
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The attraction in Atlanta, where the Hunger Games franchise has filmed its movies, is set to launch in 2019.
