Lions Gate Executives Reveal Just How Much The Hunger Games Must Earn To Justify A Sequel

Bloomberg has a great article profiling Lions Gate and their two head executives, Jon Feltheimer and Michael Burns. After the flops of Conan, Warrior ( it was loved by critics but bombed at the box office), and the Taylor Lautner action thriller, Abduction (who thought that would be a hit?)Lionsgate is in desperate need of a hit movie. Their hopes are riding on the $80-million dollar adaption of The Hunger Games. In their chat with Bloomberg.com the two executives revealed the studio has a lot riding on a movie set in a dystopian future where a totalitarian state forces 24 teens to duel to the death on national television.

Unlike their competitors, Bloomberg reports, the studio doesn't have amusement parks and cable networks to keep it going. It rises and falls with the release of every movie or TV show.

Feltheimer says “The Hunger Games” must earn at least $100 million in domestic box office sales to justify making sequels. “I’m not too concerned we won’t get to that kind of number,” the studio head confidently stated.

After receiving tax incentives from North Carolina, where the film was shot this summer, Lions Gate has about $30 million at risk in the production, Feltheimer says. The studio will probably spend another $40 million in marketing and advertising “The Hunger Games,” he says.

While their TV shows remain strong earners, the movie side of Lions Gate is really struggling and if Hunger Games bombs then who knows what the future holds for the studio. With so much riding on the film, it's hard to fathom the so-far lack luster marketing effort that's being produced. There's been a lot of hype built around the debut of the first poster and trailer but each was met with lukewarm reception by fans. But that was simply because essentially nothing was revealed in either promotional piece so the jury is still out on Hunger Games. To read a lot more about Lions Gate click the link under the banner at the top.

The Hunger Games was acquired by Lions Gate Entertainment for worldwide distribution, which is being produced by Nina Jacobson's production company Color Force. Collins adapted the novel for film herself, and her script was reviewed by screenwriter Billy Ray. It is anticipated to have a PG-13 rating.

The film will be directed by Gary Ross with Jennifer Lawrence in the role of Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as the role of Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth as the role of Gale. The filmmakers went into production in late Spring 2011[43] with an anticipated release date of March 23, 2012.