London volunteers for tribute with new The Hunger Games stageplay coming in 2024
May the odds be ever in their favor (at the ticket office).
If there is one thing that Hollywood loves to do, it's squeezing a bit more content out of a successful franchise. That’s the spirit that is giving us a Hunger Games prequel film later this year and it is why Katniss is taking aim at a stage adaptation in London in 2024.
The film franchise has earned more than $3 billion in global box office revenue, so it isn’t surprising that folks would try to return to the world of Panem. The stage play looks to cover the events of the first book in the series, with Katniss Everdeen volunteering to take her younger sister’s place in the annual Hunger Games. It is one of the roles that established Jennifer Lawrence as one of the most bankable young stars in Hollywood.
London is no stranger to hosting elaborate stage adaptations of films, with several of Hayao Miyazaki’s iconic works taking over the West End over the years. How director Matthew Dunster brings the horrific Mutts to life or handles Katniss’ skills at archery on the stage will determine how this play will be received by fans. Conor McPherson is signed on to write the script, saying that he was looking to highlight the themes of “resilience, self-reliance, and independent moral inquiry” that were central to the original story.
Suzanne Collins, who wrote the books that inspired the films, wrote in a statement that she would be involved in bringing this version of The Hunger Games to the London stage, though she stopped short of saying what her contributions would be. Fans who can’t wait for more of The Hunger Games still have The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, based on the prequel novel written by Collins, to tide them over until the London show debuts in Fall 2024.
Not sure what competition The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will be up against in November? We’ve got all the biggest films due out in the next few months all in one place.
