This week it's the beginning of the end for The Hunger Games franchise as Mockingjay - Part 1 hits cinemas. The film will adapt the first half of Suzanne Collins' third novel in the trilogy as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) becomes a figurehead for the rebellion against the Capitol. The quadrilogy of films will conclude next year with the release of the second part of Mockingjay. However, director Francis Lawrence has expressed an openness to make more films within the Hunger Games universe. He told Empire magazine that spin-off movies would be "a tough thing", but that there is plenty of room to explore the world, just as there is with JK Rowling's Harry Potter saga, which is set to spawn an entire spin-off trilogy, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. Just like Harry Potter and Twilight before it, The Hunger Games has a huge army of fans who would be happy to keep paying to see another set of films, so it's almost a no-brainer for them to happen. However, it's important that there's a creative impetus for these films rather than just a desire to cash in on the popularity of the universe. There are a number of directions that Hunger Games spin-offs could take. There is plenty of scope to look back in time from Collins' books and an equal amount of room to look forward into the new future set up by Mockingjay's conclusion. There are, of course, major spoilers for the Mockingjay book in this article.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
