'Hunger Games: Mockingjay 2' News: Plot Changes May Open Room for Prequels and Sequels

By Dondi Tiples, Christian Post Contributor Friday, May 01, 2015

Lionsgate has plans to keep "The Hunger Games" franchise alive even after "Mockingjay 2" ends, changing the plot to accommodate sequels or prequels.

Long standing rumors Lionsgate would be pursuing an extended "The Hunger Games" franchise has been confirmed by a Den of Geek report, detailing the studio's plans to deviate from the books' plot to open the way for sequels and prequels.

With the studio's decision to split the final installment into two separate films, the plot for "Hunger Games: Mockingjay 2" may be tweaked to make room for what is speculated to be a prequel on the story of the global war that lead to the creation of the Districts.

Jon Feltheirmer, Lionsgate CEO, is reportedly planning to continue the franchise after feedback from the books and movies' considerable following pointed toward a demand for "The Hunger Games" universe to continue, VC Post writes.

Each film in the franchise, based on the trilogy by Suzanne Collins, has brought in an estimated $600 million in worldwide sales, and Lionsgate is looking at a glut of material the expansive world of "The Hunger Games" has brought to its plate.

Extending past book adaptations is a current trend occurring in film, as studios look beyond the source material their movies and shows are based on to feed the demand of audience interest. Warner Bros. is following that trend with its "Harry Potter" spinoff, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," based on a novella written by J.K. Rowling, has been stretched out into a trilogy.

James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy" sequel is also reportedly deviating from the comics, and will feature changes in the film's characters, as well as depict an original plotline. HBO's "Game of Thrones" season five has exhausted its source material from George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" epic fantasy series, and its creators have announced the critically acclaimed show will be veering from the books soon.