EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate‘s franchise returner The Starvation Video games: Dawn on the Reaping is about to be the biggest-budget challenge on sale at subsequent month’s Cannes market.
Market sources inform us the movie’s funds is being pegged north of $150M. Two sources inform us between $170-200M gross. This isn’t surprising given the final movie within the in style franchise, made virtually a decade in the past, had a reported funds of $160M. However it might nonetheless be the most important funds film to hit a movie market in a while, a market that has grow to be accustomed to smaller style fare and the place tentpole franchises aren’t as frequent as they was. It’s onerous to recall the final film with a funds on this vary hitting the indie market. The Irishman did, however then was flipped to Netflix. Earlier than that, it might most likely be Mockingjay Half Two. Extra just lately, Higher Man had a funds north of $100M (that didn’t finish effectively), as did Emancipation (that was flipped to Apple) and Saudi-shot Desert Warrior (which stays in submit after an extended delay) has been reported as costing north of $100M gross, although that quantity is contested.
Consumers are all the time hungry for a winner and the Starvation Video games franchise has delivered for a lot of up to now. The 5 movies within the franchise have taken in additional than $3.3BN on the field workplace. The asking costs are more likely to be steep, nonetheless, and given international financial challenges and the sparsity of main indies right now it’ll be fascinating to see who is ready to stump up. We must always know extra on asking costs quickly. At a time when so many buzzy properties get flipped to streamers and studios (in current months, we’ve had Lionsgate and Henry Cavill’s Highlander reboot and Natalie Portman rom-com Good Intercourse each go that means), it’s excellent news for indie consumers to a minimum of have a shot at an enormous franchise.
Filming is because of get underway in July on the movie, which Francis Lawrence will direct from Billy Ray’s adaptation of the Suzanne Collins novel.
As we revealed, Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons has been solid as Plutarch Heavensbee, becoming a member of Joseph Zada As Haymitch Abernathy, Whitney Peak As Lenore Dove Baird and Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner. Further casting is in course of.
Dawn on the Reaping revisits the world of Panem twenty-four years earlier than the occasions of The Starvation Video games, beginning on the morning of the reaping of the Fiftieth Starvation Video games, also referred to as the Second Quarter Quell. The protagonist of the novel is the younger Abernathy (portrayed by Woody Harrelson within the earlier films), the second male tribute from District 12 to enter the lethal area.
The urge for food for the books stays robust. The novel bought 1.5M copies in its first week on sale within the U.S., UK, Eire, Canada, Australia and New Zealand after it hit cabinets in March. The 1.2M copies bought in its first week within the U.S. are twice the first-week gross sales of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and 3 times these of Mockingjay.
Pic is slated for launch on November 20, 2026. Shade Power’s Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will produce. Within the U.S., Starz could have an unique first pay window, which will likely be adopted by one other unique window for Amazon Prime.
As for different buzzy pre-sale initiatives set to be on sale at Cannes, A24 will likely be on the Croisette with the Brad Pitt film The Riders from director Edward Berger and producer Scott Free, which we revealed earlier this week. The corporate may also be speaking to consumers about Robert Pattinson and Zendaya starrer The Drama. There are a lot extra initiatives nonetheless to be introduced. Keep tuned to Deadline for the most recent.
Lionsgate declined to remark.
