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Lionsgate

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Lionsgate and EGPAF Auctioning 'Mockingjay Part 1' Posters For Charity

The signed Mockingjay poster up for auction

Lionsgate and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) are teaming up once again to auction off five signed Comic Con exclusive Mockingjay Part 1 posters for charity. The posters, signed by the "rebel warriors" (Natalie Dormer, Evan Ross, Elden Henson, Mahershala Ali, and Wes Chatham) are available for auction on eBay through 8pm on Tuesday, August 5th and 100% of the proceeds goes to EGPAF. The auction listing also includes a Comic Con exclusive Mockingjay pin.

 

Click here to check them out on eBay.  

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'Mockingjay Part 1' at Comic Con - A Look at the Lionsgate Booth

 

Those nutty peacekeepers!

We spent a little more time at the Lionsgate booth today at San Diego Comic Con. Mockingjay is definitely the big presence at the booth, along with The Expendables and Divergent. The guys playing the peacekeepers are clearly having a blast, posing for pictures and pretty much doing anything you ask them to do. And the costumes are badass.

An apple a day keeps the Rebellion away?

You can also check out the Hall of Heroes and see holograms of Peeta Mellark and Johanna Mason rotating in the window. 


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The Mockingjay Lives - Rebels Hack The Capitol

There's always a flaw in the system. Beetee is at it again! Yesterday, TheCapitol.PN tweeted a very cryptic message that was quickly deleted:

 

 

The letters at the end of the tweet are the notes in Rue's Whistle!

When you head over to TheCapitol.PN and right click to inspect element (or view page source) the following message is embeded into the code:

What will Beetee hack next, tributes? The rebellion is coming. The Mockingjay lives!

 

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Lionsgate and Kabam Partner to Create 'The Hunger Games' Mobile Game

Kabam, a world leader in free-to-play games for traditional players, today announced that it has partnered with Lionsgate to create a mobile game based on The Hunger Games franchise.

Kabam will produce an exclusive role playing, card collection mobile game that will deliver the action of the blockbuster film into the hands of avid fans around the world. In the game, players assume the identity of District members sent on a mission in order to build their alliance, liberate their District, and rebuild Panem.

“We are so pleased to be working with Kabam to give the fans an experience like they have never had before,” said Danielle DePalma, Lionsgate’s EVP of Digital Media. “Being able to role-play with the mentors straight from the world of The Hunger Games will let fans feel as if they are in the middle of the action.”

The game will be developed in Kabam's China studio, the same place where the hit movie based game The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth was created and went on to generate more than $100 million in revenue during its first year.

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Lionsgate To Launch Interactive "The Hunger Games: The Exhibition" In Summer 2015

Lionsgate 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. (Thinkwell are the people behind The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour outside London, which is pretty impressive if you haven't seen it.)

“The Hunger Games: The Exhibition” will launch several months ahead of the November 20, 2015 worldwide 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.

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Lionsgate-Summit Marketing Shake-up: Tim Palen Now Head of Lionsgate, Summit & Pantelion Theatrical Marketing

Image courtesy The Hollywood ReporterAccording to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate marketing chief Tim Palen will now oversee all theatrical marketing for Lionsgate, Summit, and Pantelion with the late April departure of studio executive Nancy Kirkpatrick. Tim Palen is the maverick marketing chief responsible for all of The Hunger Games films' marketing campaigns. He even photographs the campaigns himself (read more on Tim Palen and the Catching Fire marketing campaign here):

When Lionsgate bought Summit two years ago, their respective marketing operations were kept separate in order to service Summit's remaining stable of films. Kirkpatrick continued to serve as worldwide president of marketing for Summit, while Palen continued to head up marketing for Lionsgate.

Upon Kirkpatrick's departure, Palen will have oversight of Lionsgate and Summit titles, as well as Pantelion Films. He'll also have expanded merchandising and theme park duties.

Among other Summit properties, Kirkpatrick ran the marketing campaigns for the blockbuster Twilight franchise. More recently, she successfully launched Divergent, the first title in a new Summit franchise.

“Now was the right time to take the next step in integrating the marketing departments of our Lionsgate and Summit film labels as we continue to achieve significant operational synergies following the acquisition of Summit Entertainment two years ago,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-chairman Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger.

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'Catching Fire' Is The Biggest Digital Launch in Lionsgate's History

Congrats to Lionsgate on the huge success of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital HD! The company announced today that they sold an estimated 3.9 million DVD and Blu-Ray units in the first weekend, increasing almost 40% over The Hunger Games.

The press release:

Lionsgate (LGF), a leading global entertainment company, announced today that the global blockbuster Hunger Games franchise continued to gain momentum as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire sold an estimated 3.9 million DVD and Blu-ray units in its first weekend of North American release and had the biggest digital launch in the Company's history with opening weekend digital sales increasing nearly 40% over the first Hunger Games film.

The record digital performance was driven by #1 openings on all major digital platforms, including iTunes, Xbox, Amazon, Vudu, Comcast Xfinity, Verizon FiOS, Google Play and Sony Entertainment Network, among others. Higher-margin Blu-Ray titles surged to 50% of all packaged media sales of Catching Fire in its opening weekend compared to 35% of packaged media sales of the first Hunger Games film.

"This is a monster opening and a tremendous result for the second film in a franchise, underscoring the enormous momentum of The Hunger Games films," said Ron Schwartz , Lionsgate President and General Manager of Home Entertainment Sales & Distribution. "Opening weekend packaged media sales of Catching Fire were comparable to the first Hunger Games title released nearly two years ago while digital sales grew by nearly 40%. With strong increases in digital revenue and Blu-Ray accounting for 50% of packaged media sales, the opening weekend performance is driving significant margin growth and is a testament to the strength of the franchise."

"We opened Catching Fire on nearly 20 digital platforms, including six that have launched since the home entertainment debut of the first Hunger Games film in 2012, and it was number one on almost all of them," said Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer. "The broad demographic appeal of The Hunger Games franchise uniquely positions it for this surge in digital ownership."

Thanks to our friends at QuarterQuell.org for the heads up and the photo!

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The 'Mockingjay' Team on Marketing and Plans for the Next Two Films

Variety just posted a great article on the Mockingjay films. They spoke with Lionsgate's head of marketing, Tim Palen, producers Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik, production president Erik Feig, and director Francis Lawrence on everything from the marketing plan to European shooting sites. Read on:

“When we started, we decided to look at this as one big movie that’s eight hours long,” notes Tim Palen, the architect of Lionsgate’s marketing effort. “Otherwise, it’s going to be kind of overwhelming to do a new campaign for each movie.”

Palen admits the bar is set higher for the Mockingjay movies than for the first two pics — even though foreign box office jumped by more than 50% (to $450 million from $283 million) from the first to the second pic.

“A big part of the second film was growing the franchise, and the greatest potential was international,” he says. “We did a major presentation to distributors in Cannes, and did six premieres outside the U.S. And we still have room to grow. We’ve matched Iron Man 3 on domestic, but we can do better on international.”

Mockingjay: Part 1, which hits theaters Nov. 21, takes place in a location far different from the world of Suzanne Collins’ first two books — and the first two movies in which Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen battles through two versions of the gladiatorial Hunger Games. In the coming film, Katniss becomes the poster child of a massive rebellion in a world on the brink of war.

In his promotional materials, Palen used the iconic mockingjay image from the The Hunger Games book covers for the first film as a symbol of freedom and for the second with the pin ablaze. In the third image, the bird is breaking free and taking flight — reminding fans of what they liked about the first two movies and hinting at what’s to come.

Director Francis Lawrence ended Catching Fire with a shot showing a spark in Lawrence’s eyes, followed by the rebels’ mockingjay logo. “It was a great way get from one to the next eloquently and elegantly,” Palen notes.

There will be reveals of the campaign in May at the Cannes film festival and in July at Comic-Con. Until then, Lionsgate is trying to keep specifics under wraps, though director Lawrence allows that the next two films take place in a Panem so devolved as to be barely recognizable.

Much more after the jump!

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'Catching Fire' is The First Film With a Female Lead to Top the Box Office in 4 Decades

 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has made history by becoming the first film with a solo-female lead to top the year end box office.

The movie made a massive $409.4 million, surpassing Iron Man 3, which earned $409 million through tickets sales, reports Huffington Post.

"The Hunger Games franchise continues to evolve into a truly global phenomenon," said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer in a statement.

"The success of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a testament to the vision of author Suzanne Collins, the sure hand of director Francis Lawrence, the brilliant performances of a remarkably talented cast led by the amazing Jennifer Lawrence and superb execution by our motion picture production, marketing and distribution teams.

“We will continue to grow the transformative Hunger Games franchise in the years to come even as we continue to develop a dynamic portfolio of premium new brands."

Catching Fire is the first film in four decades to have a woman as a lead to finish top, the previous movie was 1973 thriller The Exorcist, with Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn in the leads.

via YahooUK

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Hunger Games Theme Parks a Possibility

Yeah, it's all over the news today: Hunger Games theme parks are being discussed. According to Variety, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer made the disclosure Friday during a conference call with analysts following release of the studio’s quarterly earnings report.

Feltheimer said Lionsgate had been approached about Hunger Games theme parks in two territories and was considering those possibilities. He gave no further details.

The CEO’s disclosure came in response to an analyst question about which areas of Hunger Games merchandising had performed well. Motion Picture Group Co-Chairman Rob Friedman had said that Lionsgate was “very excited” by sales of the “Capitol Couture” line of attire.

What do YOU think? Would you go to a Hunger Games theme park?

 

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100 Day Countdown To The 'Catching Fire' Premiere Starts Next Week

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said this morning that the announcement of Coldplay's new Song "ATLAS" on the Catching Fire soundtrack was only the first of several announcements promoting the movie with a "100-day Countdown" to the release starting next week. 

Feltheimer touted the announcement Friday morning during a call with analysts following the release of better-than-expected earnings for the studio’s first quarter ended June 30. 

What can we expect for the 100-day Countdown? Definitely more announcements about artists included on the Catching Fire soundtrack. And we know Capitol Couture launches their new edition, Zoetic Sol next week. With the new edition, the new feature "Game Faces" begins, but there's no indication whether we're getting NEW portraits of the victors or if they're using the Quarter Quell portraits:

Over the next few weeks, a Capitol Couture style jury will evaluate the portraits of our victors for their allure and polish. Our judges include a makeup artist, hair stylist and physical trainer. No doubt, each victor’s prep team will anxiously await the scores. Victors will be ranked from one to ten, based on their coifs, pouts and poise.

Maybe a puzzle hunt like last year? Be prepared for the madness to start on Tuesday, August 10th when we'll officially be at 100 days to the Catching Fire premiere! 

Stay Tuned!

P.S. Coldplay's song, “Atlas,” will be available through iTunes and other digital retailers through Republic Records. Lionsgate is releasing the film amid sky-high expectations on Nov. 22. Click HERE for more details on the Coldplay collab, including song lyrics.

via Variety

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Lionsgate Auctioning Off 5 Poster Packages For Charity

 

 

LIONSGATE is auctioning off five poster packages from CATCHING FIRE that include a poster signed by Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, Willow Shields, Stephanie Leigh Schlund, Meta Golding, and Bruno Gunn from the 2013 San Diego Comic Con benefiting The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

The winning bidders will receive the studio certified posters with a signed letter verifying their authenticity. Auctions begin today and will end August 7, 2013 . Interested fans and collectors should be aware there are only a limited amount available. Please note that 100% of the proceeds, including $9.99 shipping costs goes to The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Lionsgate is responsible for poster shipping. Please note: Posters may have some signs of wear and tear due to talent handling.

 

 Included In This Package:

* CATCHING FIRE Poster signed by Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, Willow Shields, Stephanie Leigh Schlund, Meta Golding, and Bruno Gunn

* CATCHING FIRE Pin

* Comic Con Quarter Quell Posters

* Katniss, Peeta, & Finnick Capitol Portrait Posters

 

See the ebay listing HERE.

 

Thanks to HGFiresideChat for the tip!

 

 

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New Peeta Portrait & Lionsgate CMO Tim Palen Talks 'Catching Fire' Marketing

Peeta Mellark Photographed by Tim Palen

Check out this very interesting interview with Tim Palen, Chief Marketing Officer for Lionsgate. Tim spoke with RIPPmag's Jaqueline Miro about the marketing for Catching Fire. Palen sounds like a true renaissance man, photographing the marketing campaign HIMSELF and taking a completely hands-on approach to all aspects of the campaign. And yes, he DOES care what you guys think! I love this man. Read on:

By all accounts, Tim Palen is one of the catalysts of Lionsgate’s continuous growth at a critical time when film -- once deemed “spectacle for the masses” -- is becoming increasingly splintered into diverse audiences.

During his eleven-year tenure, Lionsgate Entertainment has experienced both a redefining of its mission, and a recrudescence in its audience. Lionsgate’s films have earned more than 40 Academy Award nominations and 10 Oscar wins, and Palen’s campaigns have received dozens of Key Art awards and other honors. Tim Palen does not feel comfortable claiming ownership of the title auteur, yet he is one of the most hands-on marketing execs in the business, conceptualizing campaigns, writing copy and even taking the photos that are used in the print campaigns for the movies he markets. The decisive moment of whether a movie works or not depends on the skill and intelligence with which all these elements are put together. And where a director has ninety minutes to tell a story, Tim has two and a half minutes max to flirt and seduce an audience.

From RIPPmag:

JM: HOW CHALLENGING WAS IT TO APPEAL TO A WIDE AUDIENCE IN A MOVIE LIKE THE HUNGER GAMES?

Tim Palen: There were a lot of challenges in marketing a beloved book especially knowing that it was the first of four films in a series. The best decision we made was to take our queues from the book – and we consider the words of Suzanne Collins to be our bible in marketing the film. The Hunger Games is a story about a reluctant hero who is forced into a world of violence and how institutionalized violence (i.e. war) changes everyone. One of the biggest  challenges fundamentally was how to handle the notion of kids killing kids. The books do not glorify violence and Katniss is not a killer. Sensationalizing that aspect of the story would be contrary to the core message of the books and we believed that it would be alienating to a huge part of the audience that love the books and that would love the movie.
JM: WHAT WAS THE FIRST CAMPAIGN YOU SHOT? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT A RECENT SHOOT AND HOW YOUR PROCESS WORKS?

Tim Palen: Most recently I shot the campaign for HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE. Because I also shot the campaign for the first HUNGER GAMES I have gotten to know the talent and there’s a certain level of trust and familiarity that has added a level of magic to the campaigns.

As a general rule, a photographer has a short window of time to connect with an actor and make them feel comfortable and safe and taken care of – most times it’s a matter of hours from the time they show up at the studio for hair/makeup before you have to dive right in. I think that’s one of the advantages of my job – I get to connect with the people I’m working with on a more intimate level than most marketing executives. It’s something I’m grateful for and something I never take for granted.

JM: WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC QUALIFIERS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WITH YOUR NEXT MARKETING CAMPAIGN…YOU JUST RELEASED THE FIRST TEASER FOR CATCHING FIRE(WHICH GOT OVER 28M VIEWS IN A LITTLE OVER A WEEK) BUT I’M SURE THERE WERE MANY CHALLENGES.

Tim Palen: The launch of the teaser trailer for CATCHING FIRE was a hugely pivotal moment in the ongoing HUNGER GAMES campaign. Because we have a franchise across four films, each piece is just part of the larger puzzle, and this step was even more crucial because we had such great success on the first film. At the same time we have a new director (Francis Lawrence), a new editor, a new cinematographer and a new costume designer. So I really needed this first glimpse of the second film to work hard to reassure the fan base that the characters they know and love are back and that the integrity we showed with the first movie is still intact. But almost equally important for me was to show that the stakes are higher, the drama  will be greater and that CATCHING FIRE will be taking the story of our reluctant hero Katniss Everdeen to a whole other level. I’m grateful that Francis Lawrence has delivered a gigantic movie that has so many rich and amazing pieces for me to play with. He’s really made my job a fun and easy one.

Probably the most satisfying thing I saw after the release of the teaser was a fan comment on one of the blogs that posted the trailer. I tend to be overly obsessive about reading and monitoring real fan reaction to the materials. This one comment did the most to reassure me that we had hit the mark with the new teaser trailer: “Shit’s getting real.” It doesn’t get better than that.

Tim Palen, Lionsgate CMO and all around renaissance man. Photo by Jack Pierson

“Tim is amazing. A true artist. The work he does reflects his impeccable taste and a truly singular point of view that only the strongest and surest of artists could present.”
— Francis Lawrence

 

 

Special thanks to Josholatras for discovering this article and photo! Follow them on twitter @josholatras

 

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'Catching Fire' At Comic Con: Day 1 - Bruno Gunn, Stephanie Leigh Schlund & Meta Golding

Image courtesy Bruno Gunn on WhoSay

Day 1 at San Diego Comic Con was a madhouse!! If Lionsgate had any doubts about The Hunger Games: Catching Fire's popularity with fans, they were put to rest today. Fire Marshalls sent huge crowds away from the Lionsgate booth, shutting down the scheduled 11:00am mockingjay pin giveaway. 

But lucky fans who got there early to snag a wristband were treated to an autograph session with Bruno Gunn (Brutus), Stephanie Leigh Schlund (Cashmere), and Meta Golding (Enobaria). 

Images courtesy The Hunger Games on Instagram

Images courtesy Stephanielschlund Instagram

Images courtesy Meta Golding on twitter @metagolding

Courtney and Tiffany from fan site Welcome To District 12 (Tiffany also writes for Victor's Village) got to MEET the trifecta of Victors. How awesome is that?

Courtney and Tiffany from WToD12. Image courtesy WelcomToDistrict12.comThe lovely ladies of Mockingjay.net also got a chance to meet Bruno, Stephanie and Meta. Bruno gave them a shoutout on WhoSay with this photo:

Image courtesy Bruno Gunn on WhoSay

Get all the details on Saturday's Catching Fire panel and trailer premiere HERE. Don't forget that Saturday, Willow Sheilds, Jena Malone and Jeffrey Wright will be signing autographs at 3:00pm at the Lionsgate booth (4029 B). 

Be sure to follow The Hunger Games on Instagram and many thanks to them for the great pictures! For more great pictures, follow Bruno Gunn on twitter @brunogunn, facebook at Bruno Gunn, and whosayStephanie Leigh Sclund on twitter @1stephanieleigh and instagram at @stephanielschlund, and Meta Golding on twitter  @metagolding

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'Catching Fire' at the Lionsgate Booth San Diego Comic Con

Comic Con is in full swing! We got a look at the Lionsgate Booth (#4029 B) thanks to some lucky enough to attend preview night last evening, Wednesday, July 17th.

The adorable Lionsgate booth staff in new District t-shirts!

Lionsgate will be giving away new Mockingjay pins at 11:00am today. Hurry! 

You might be able to get your hands on some brand spankin' new posters, too. Page To Premiere posted a pic of this beauty last night. 

The swag-fest continues; The Hunger Games Adventures is giving out custom Hunger Games Adventures iPads to some lucky fans. 

The Hunger Games AdventuresSpecial thanks to @TaraDBennett, PageToPremiere, The Hunger Games Adventures, SuperHeroHype, @LawrenceHutcher, for the photos! 

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Lionsgate & Subway Team Up For 'Catching Fire'

Lionsgate announced today that they're teaming up with Subway as the exclusive restaurant promotional destination for Catching Fire and that the promotional tie-in will support Feeding America, a non-profit organization of nationwide food banks. 

The promo will include a special product line along with movie tie-in packaging and social media contests. There will be in store character standees, and fans are encouraged to photograph and share on social media for more opportunities to win prizes. 

The official press release:

MILFORD, Conn. and SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SUBWAY(R) restaurants, the world's largest restaurant chain, and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced that SUBWAY(R) will be the exclusive restaurant promotional destination for the film "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," the highly anticipated second installment of the global blockbuster "The Hunger Games" film franchise. "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" will open in theaters worldwide on November 22. SUBWAY(R) and Lionsgate will utilize their promotion to support Feeding America, a non-profit organization consisting of more than 200 food banks nationwide.

SUBWAY(R) restaurants in the U.S. and Canada will be fired up in anticipation of the film's release, with a number of promotional assets planned for in-store, social, online, and broadcast. A special product line will be featured with thematic ties to the film, along with specially marked packaging with codes encouraging customers to engage online for their chance to win prizes. SUBWAY(R) customers can also pose with their favorite character's standees in the restaurants and are invited to share photos on social media for additional chances to win.

"There's nothing hotter than 'The Hunger Games' franchise," said Michelle Cordial, Director of Marketing Development for SUBWAY(R) restaurants. "Being able to deliver exclusive 'Catching Fire' experiences to our Subway fans is something that Hunger Games enthusiasts can't find anywhere else."

"With SUBWAY joining as a promotional partner for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,' Lionsgate has found new ways to reach a larger audience of fans of the film franchise," said Paula Kupfer, Vice President of Promotions and Consumer Products for Lionsgate. "Beyond providing fans with unique film experiences, what makes this promotion truly special to the studio is our ability to work with SUBWAY to support Feeding America and help provide to those in need."

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DETAILS: 'Catching Fire' At Comic Con

Comic Con has published their schedule and Lionsgate's Catching Fire and I, Frankenstein panel is set for Saturday, July 20th from 1:35-2:35pm in Hall H. 

 

I, Frankenstein stars Aaron Eckhart and Yvonne Strahovski appear with film director/writerStuart Beattie and graphic novel author/writer Kevin Grevioux. Plus, the cast of the highly anticipated second installment of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire comes to Hall H for the first time. Panel moderated by Fandango chief correspondent Dave Karger. Never-before-seen footage is showcased from both films. Includes Q&A opportunity.
Saturday July 20, 2013 1:35pm - 2:35pm 
Hall H

 

No word yet on which cast members will attend the panel. 

 

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'Catching Fire' Could Gross More Than 900 Million Worldwide

Variety reports that one industry analyst predicts Catching Fire will gross $900 million worldwide. This is also boosting Lionsgate's stock to an all time high.

Piper Jaffray said Tuesday it recommended the stock as its favorite mid-cap name in 2013 and singled out Catching Fire, due out Nov. 22.

“While the second Hunger Games film is an obvious catalyst, we see a number of other interesting initiatives across the company that will drive value,” analyst James Marsh wrote. “The film release slate is looking deeper (Red 2, Ender’s Game, Divergent), we like the odds of a Twilight extension, and international distribution deal economics are improving. 

David Miller of BRiley & Co. issued a similarly bullish report and repeated his $34 target, predicting that Catching Fire will gross $900 million worldwide. That’s 22% above the $691 million gross for The Hunger Games, will Miller noting that the popularity of the Hunger Games book trilogy has “exploded” overseas since last year’s release of the first film.

 

Read more at Variety

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