The British stage has long been synonymous with Shakespeare, Laurence Olivier, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Now you can add Katniss Everdeen to that list.
A "theatrical experience" based on The Hunger Games franchise will be launched in London in 2016, according to an announcement from movie studio Lionsgate.
The studio is teaming up with Dutch production company Imagine Nation and the U.S.-based Triangular Entertainment to produce the stage show, which will be launched in a new purpose-built theater next to Wembley Stadium.
The companies are promising that Katniss and company will be brought to life using "innovative and immersive staging techniques".
Imagine Nation is well-versed in such staging, with its Tony Award-winning cofounder, Robin de Levita, recently producing a Dutch musical, Soldier of Orange, which is staged in a 360-degree rotating auditorium, as well as ANNE, a play based on The Diary of Anne Frank, that uses rotating, life-sized sets.
"Robin de Levita and the entire production team are the perfect partners for extending The Hunger Games franchise into a live theatrical experience," said Lionsgate Chief Marketing Officer Tim Palen in the studio's press release. "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 said he was thrilled to be a part of the project. "The theater is a fantastic medium to bring the many meaningful layers of Suzanne Collins' writing to life," he said.
The first two film adaptations of Suzanne Collins' top-selling novels have already grossed more than $1.5 billion, with the next installment due to hit cinemas later this month.
On social media, fans were divided about the news:
THE HUNGER GAMES IS GOING TO BE A STAGE SHOW!! 😱
Yes! There's Going to Be a Hunger Games Stage Show http://t.co/3dLp3QPFwD w/ @brckwald
hmm... children murdering each other in a post-apocalyptic setting will definitely make for an interesting show... http://t.co/I3KZp7N12n
OMG they're doing a Hunger Games stage show in a purpose built theatre!? I don't even like The Hunger Games that much but oh my!!!
Hunger Games - the stage show? In a purposely built theatre in London? Seriously?! That is insane (not in a good way)!
“@theatermania: There's going to be a #TheHungerGames stage show → http://t.co/yk4zw3IjbE ” WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL????