A 'Hunger Games' theme park just opened in Dubai
It looks fun, but would Katniss approve?
Updated: 10:15 AM CDT Oct 25, 2017
The Hunger Games books and movies depict a dystopian future in which poverty-stricken “districts” exist only to create resources for the super-rich Capitol—and their children fight to the death for the Capitol’s amusement. With that perspective, it seems to be a strange plot idea for a theme park. Yes, a Hunger Games theme park exists, and it seems to simply shrug off a lot of the darkness from Suzanne Collins' books. Katniss would probably not be cool with this.The World of The Hunger Games first opened on October 20 at Motiongate Dubai. According to Variety, it’s part of the Lionsgate zone at the park, which features attractions inspired by Hollywood. (The park, which is divided by movie studio, also features attractions inspired by Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Ghostbusters, and Zombieland.) The Hunger Games section features a hovercraft simulator that shows a tour of Panem, a Capitol Bullet Train roller coaster, and even Peeta’s Bakery for snacks. Plus, you can hang out with Peacekeepers, as long as they're not trying to quash a rebellion. Guests at Motiongate Dubai can interact with the coal miners from District 12, who put on a percussion performance. Yes, that’s Katniss’s home district, where her father died in a coal mine explosion. Their lives might be tragic in the books, but here, the coal miners put on lively shows for park guests.It's unclear exactly which moment in the Hunger Games series this park is reliving. Elizabeth Banks and Stanley Tucci reprised their roles as Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman for the promos. Despite the references to some of the gloom and doom of Panem, there’s also nods to the resistance, including the three-fingered salute and the mockingjay pin.The Hunger Games movies were incredibly popular, sure, but it seems like a very odd choice to take a fictional world with income inequality at its center and plop in into a pricey theme park for tourists. If the park put you in Katniss's shoes the entire time and emphasized the villainous nature of the Capitol, it could work, but as it looks now, the tone just doesn't make sense for an amusement park. But this won’t be stopping soon. A planned Hunger Games theme park in Atlanta has been put on hold indefinitely, but Lionsgate is planning its next park, which will include Hunger Games rides, in South Korea to open in 2019. And a Hunger Games bakery and sweet shop is in the works in Times Square. So let's just hope this is all set in a post-President Snow time, where everybody gets along and no oppression is going on, or else those roller coasters are going to be awkward.
The Hunger Games books and movies depict a dystopian future in which poverty-stricken “districts” exist only to create resources for the super-rich Capitol—and their children fight to the death for the Capitol’s amusement. With that perspective, it seems to be a strange plot idea for a theme park. Yes, a Hunger Games theme park exists, and it seems to simply shrug off a lot of the darkness from Suzanne Collins' books. Katniss would probably not be cool with this.
The World of The Hunger Games first opened on October 20 at Motiongate Dubai. According to , it’s part of the Lionsgate zone at the park, which features attractions inspired by Hollywood. (The park, which is divided by movie studio, also features attractions inspired by Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Ghostbusters, and Zombieland.) The Hunger Games section features a hovercraft simulator that shows a tour of Panem, a Capitol Bullet Train roller coaster, and even Peeta’s Bakery for snacks. Plus, you can hang out with Peacekeepers, as long as they're not trying to quash a rebellion.
Guests at Motiongate Dubai can interact with the coal miners from District 12, who put on a percussion performance. Yes, that’s Katniss’s home district, where her father died in a coal mine explosion. Their lives might be tragic in the books, but here, the coal miners put on lively shows for park guests.
It's unclear exactly which moment in the Hunger Games series this park is reliving. Elizabeth Banks and Stanley Tucci reprised their roles as Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman for the promos.
This content is imported from YouTube.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Despite the references to some of the gloom and doom of Panem, there’s also nods to the resistance, including the three-fingered salute and the mockingjay pin.
The Hunger Games movies were incredibly popular, sure, but it seems like a very odd choice to take a fictional world with income inequality at its center and plop in into a pricey theme park for tourists. If the park put you in Katniss's shoes the entire time and emphasized the villainous nature of the Capitol, it could work, but as it looks now, the tone just doesn't make sense for an amusement park.
But this won’t be stopping soon. A planned Hunger Games theme park in Atlanta has been , but Lionsgate is , which will include Hunger Games rides, in South Korea to open in 2019. And a Hunger Games bakery and sweet shop is .
So let's just hope this is all set in a post-President Snow time, where everybody gets along and no oppression is going on, or else those roller coasters are going to be awkward.