'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2' is expected to earn $120 million on its weekend debut. (Photo : Twitter)
The "Hunger Games" franchise took its bow with the release of "Mockingjay Part 2." However, Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns recently hinted that the franchise may continue in the form of prequels.
Burns told Variety, that the franchise will "live on and on." He said, "If we went backwards there obviously would be arenas."
According to Burns, the first two films had two arenas where the 74th and 75th Hunger Games were held. However, the subsequent films did not mention anything about other arenas.
In July, Josh Hutcherson may have revealed more plans for the franchise after "Mockingjay Part 2." When Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth appeared in "Conan," the host asked whether there could be additional "Hunger Games" films in the future.
Hutcherson spontaneously blurted out, "there is," while other cast members gave him meaningful looks but his slip does not automatically confirm anything.
Interestingly, back in February, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said that they are "actively looking at some development and thinking about prequel and sequel possibilities" for the "Hunger Games" franchise, in addition to planning at least one theme park dedicated for it, Deadline reported.
The first three "Hunger Games" movies collectively grossed over $2 billion worldwide, so it is not surprising that Lionsgate is interested in extending the franchise beyond the source material. In fact, creating prequels off blockbuster franchises already has precedence with Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter" spin-off "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," which features a story decades before the "Harry Potter" timeline.
