Soon, mercifully, we will see the end of the Twilight franchise, coming not long after the (much better, but still inferior to the books) Harry Potter series. So, naturally studios are scrambling to find the next big teen movie that will bring in the megabucks. Unlike Harry Potter though, one of the things that made Twilight such a hit for the studio was they didn't spend much on the films, but got proper blockbuster returns and so made a killing. Whilst the quality obviously suffered, it was great for the company. Can it be done again? There have been attempts at mid-budget franchises, such as Percy Jackson and Cirque Du Freak, but neither took off in the face of the blockbusters. Twilight was the only one that managed to compete. Can it be done again?Chances are, yes. There has been talk for years on adapting The Hunger Games, a teen series that has a similarly devoted following to Twilight, and as such is potentially a success in the making. And unlike Twilight, it sounds a bit more broad. It focuses on a dystopian Earth where an evil Government hosts an annual tv show pitching children from different 'districts' against each other in a fight to the death.
CAN YOU SAY BATTLE ROY-ALE?
This though, is aimed at young teens so I wouldn't expect any exploding necklaces. It certainly doesn't sound like a fun-time blockbuster but it's hugely popular and features a roster of young (presumably relatable) characters. And now that Twilight is on the way out, it's kicking into production for a March 2012 release. Lionsgate, a big studio but not one associated with teen blockbusters, owns the rights and are hoping to make it for 60million, roughly the cost of Ryan Reynolds eye-cgi in Green Lantern (I'd imagine). Jennifer Lawrence will play the lead role of Katniss, one of the girls chosen to fight, and Josh Hutcherson will play the bizarrely named Peeta. Brother of Thor Liam Hemsworth plays Gale. The brilliant, funny and underrated Elizabeth Banks plays Effie Trinket, a mentor of sorts, and they're courting Stanley Tucci and John C. Reilly (who really needs to do some non-comedy roles for a change, he's seriously talented) for parts too. Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) directs.
It remains to be seen if this can match the success of the glittering vampires, but the crossover potential is certainly bigger, and it'll be interesting to see how they do it, considering the content. And it probably won't be as bad as Battle Royale 2 - but what is?
