According to the Lionsgate movie studio behind the Hunger Games film trilogy, a theme park inspired by the popular franchise may be in the works.
The idea of a theme park inspired by a rather violent universe has received a mixed response:
Lance Hart of Screamscape is weary of the idea:
“The reality is that unlike most other movie-based themed worlds that come to life in a theme park, the world of The Hunger Games is one of misery and slavery where a greedy capital city keeps the rest of the nation on the brink of starvation. The primary focus of the movies thus far has been on The Hunger Games themselves, an annual wargame that pits 24 randomly selected children (12 girls, 12 boys) between the ages of 12 – 18 in a fight to the death. Doesn’t that just scream theme park fun?”
A writer at the Atlantic Wire shares similar thoughts:
“So a Hunger Games theme park is a fun idea, right? Let’s just think about that for a second. This is a story about a dystopian society that, in order to oppress its people makes kids fight to the death. The land of the story, Panem, is not a fantastical dream destination that way that, say, J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world of Harry Potter is. Potter, in fact, has already become a theme park and is expanding to more. A Hunger Games immersive experience is a bit more troubling, though, and already a Florida Hunger Games-themed camp raised eyebrows back in August for engaging kids in activities resembling the to-the-death fights of the books.”
I’m skeptical of the idea. I think of theme parks as cheerful, upbeat places where one can escape from the struggles of everyday life. Introducing an entire theme park based off such a dark concept seems like a risky move that may deter the theme park-visiting segment with the largest wallets: the family. Perhaps testing the waters with a single attraction (dark ride, show, etc.) would be a better course of action.
What do you think about a Hunger Games theme park? Would you visit? What attractions should it include? Share your ideas in the comments section below.
I personally believe that it may be popular, but not to a wide range of people. First of all, not everybody knows the plot of the Hunger Games. Additionally, how smart does it seem to build a fun, cheerful theme park based on a novel where kids literally hunt and kill each other?
Hunger Games is a fad that will die very quickly, so creating something based off a fad will likely not last long.
Personally, I wouldn’t like a Hunger Games theme park to be built, but, hey, it’s not as bad as a Twilight theme park would be.
Don’t get me wrong, I love The Hunger Games, but this is one of the worst ideas for a theme park! Kids killing kids in an arena to the death, and who would want to visit the districts? A land for this would be depressing (SPOILER IF YOU HAVENT READ THE BOOK!) even if District 13 were created for the people that live in these districts are basically slaves to the capital! I don’t believe this should be turned into a theme park and hope that the theme parks believe the same thing.