When director Gary Ross’ adaptation of The Hunger Games opened in March 2012, few could have predicted just how successful the film would be.  Even after the pic garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews and grossed nearly $700 million at the box office, many still figured the sequel would fall short.  Alas, director Francis Lawrence’s follow-up The Hunger Games: Catching Fire surpassed the original in many ways (including box office), and now The Hunger Games stands—almost defiantly—as one of the most popular franchises around.  All good things must come to an end, though, and while there are still two films left to go (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Parts 1 & 2 open November 2014 and November 2015), Lionsgate is keen on milking the series for all its worth before its conclusion.

The studio has announced today that, somewhat anachronistically, they will be launching The Hunger Games: The Exhibition in 2015, a touring exhibit that offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at the world of the film.  Hit the jump for more.

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Per Lionsgate, The Hunger Games: The Exhibition will be a state-of-the-art exhibition offering interactive displays of Hunger Games costumes, props, and other elements of the world of The Hunger Games.  The touring exhibition will launch in Summer 2015, months before the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, and will take up residence in major museums and institutions across the country.  The exhibit will feature material from the previous three Hunger Games films, acting as a sort of high-brow commercial for the final installment in the franchise.

The theme of Suzanne CollinsHunger Games novels is essentially anti-entertainment-as-exploitation, so this “exhibition” seems a bit incongruous with the message of the franchise.  Regardless, there are legions of Hunger Games fans that will likely be thrilled to have the opportunity to interact with the series up close and personal.  Read the full press release announcement below.

SANTA MONICA, May 30, 2014 – As part of its initiative to extend its global brands and franchises into new lines of business, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), the premier next generation global content leader, will launch a U.S. tour of “The Hunger Games: The Exhibition” in summer 2015, it was announced today by Lionsgate Chief Marketing Officer Tim Palen.  The state-of-the-art exhibition, which will include interactive displays of authentic costumes, props and other elements of the world of The Hunger Games, will be designed in conjunction with Thinkwell Group, one of the world’s leading theme park and location-based entertainment companies.

The first two Hunger Games films have grossed more than $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire became the highest-grossing domestic release of 2013 and the 10th highest-grossing domestic release of all time.  “The Hunger Games: The Exhibition” will launch several months ahead of the November 20, 2015worldwide release of the fourth Hunger Games film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, and will incorporate artifacts featured in the first three films from locations within the Capitol and the various Districts of Panem.  The exhibition will be featured in major museums and institutions across the country and will be supported by a multimedia promotional effort and nationwide advance ticket sales.

“Now that we’ve built a critical mass of intellectual property, we’re committed to extending our brands into exciting new businesses that create opportunities for our fans to engage with our properties at the same time they deliver significant incremental financial benefits to Lionsgate,” said Palen.  “We’re thrilled to launch this initiative with the U.S. tour of The Hunger Games exhibition, which celebrates the world of The Hunger Games and offers Hunger Games fans an extensive behind-the-scenes look at the movie-making process.”  He noted that the exhibits will also be paired with local school curricula, and nearly all aspects of the tour will be interactive.

Palen also announced that, as part of the studio’s commitment to expand its branded retail and merchandising operations, it has brought veteran Thinkwell executive Jenefer Brown in-house, naming her to the newly created post of Senior Vice President, Branded Attractions.  Brown will not only oversee the launch of the U.S. tour of The Hunger Games exhibition but will explore additional theme park attraction and other location-based entertainment opportunities around the world for The Hunger Games franchise and the Company’s entire portfolio of branded properties.

Brown brings over 10 years of experience working in both the entertainment and high-technology industries. Most recently, Brown served as both a project manager and director of business development, where she managed the strategic planning and creative development of location-based entertainment projects and live events for major film studios and Fortune 500 Companies, including Warner Bros. Entertainment, Anschutz Entertainment Group, the National Basketball Association, CORE Media Group, Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon Animation Studios.

Brown will be overseeing the production and management of all branded attraction efforts on behalf of Lionsgate as the company focuses on expanding its IP presence in this space. She will report to Chief Marketing Officer Tim Palen.  She holds a JD, cum laude from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California at Berkeley.