Copyright Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate has upped 11-year studio veteran Jenefer Brown to President, Global Products & Experiences. She was previously EVP and Head of Global Products and Experiences. The news comes today as the latest project under Brown’s oversight, The Hunger Games: On Stage is beginning previews in the newly constructed Troubadour Canary Wharf in London’s financial district with John Malkovich starring as President Coriolanus Snow in the play from five-time Tony nominee Conor McPherson and acclaimed director Matthew Dunster. The Hunger Games: On Stage officially opens on Nov. 12. Hunger Games: On Stage, which has been a seven-year journey, is just one of the major endeavors from Brown and her team in what is a rapidly growing sector of Lionsgate whereby various pieces of the studio’s IP are adapted into live-experiences and attractions across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. In addition, Brown spearheads Lionsgate’s interactive games and consumer products segments. “The Hunger Games has an enduring relevance to current events,” Brown tells Deadline about propelling the property to a new generation, “A new wave of young people, including Gen Z and Gen Alpha, is rediscovering the series as they’re reading it in school and finding the movies.” Given the lower costs to launch a stage show in London versus Broadway, the city was a prime place for Hunger Games: On Stage. The production’s presence in the financial district versus London’s West End stemmed from the opportunity to build a new themed-theater for Hunger Games: On Stage conducive to the show from the ground-up in six short months. In addition, there’s a younger demographic living in the district who remain the prime audience for the play. The Hunger Games leads a roster of Lionsgate properties headed for the stage, including La La Land, produced by Wicked’s Marc Platt and targeting a Broadway opening next year, along with Dirty Dancing—developed in collaboration with Eleanor Bergstein, the writer of the original hit film—set to follow. La La Land recently had a successful production design workshop. Casting for both Dirty Dancing and La La Land will be announced in the future. Other Lionsgate IP being adapted to stage include Wonder and Nashville. Brown has overseen several successful live-to-film concert tours, including La La Land, Dirty Dancing, and Twilight. Brown led the successful openings of the Official Saw Escape Room in Las Vegas; the former The Hunger Games: The Exhibition and now current John Wick Experience in Las Vegas. There’s also a John Wick roller coaster in the Motiongate Theme Park in Dubai. And there’s a Now You See Me Live show opening at the Sydney Opera House in December before embarking on a global tour. The upside of opening the live-experiences like John Wick in Las Vegas stem from the low capital investment and quick greenlight process to mount such themed events up and running quickly versus an actual theme park attraction which can often involve several years of planning. Not to mention, unlike a theme park, the ticket price is quite affordable at under $50. The plan is take such events as The John Wick Experience to other locations around the nation and the globe. Says Brown about the advantage of Las Vegas as a live experiences launch pad: “It’s a global destination with high traffic and it was the first market that we explored. We have fans who come in from all over the world. We continue to open experiences here with the intent of taking them to other parts of the world. If you want to open an experience and learn from it, Las Vegas is a great market – there’s a constant influx of visitors as well as a local audience who is game to experience events in their own backyard.” Lionsgate was recently one of the founding partners in Roblox’s IP licensing platform with such studio franchises as Twilight, Saw, and Now You See Me available for creators. Says Brown, “We live in a time where if you look at Gen Z, 65% consider themselves creators. That number is even higher for Gen Alpha. This presents massive opportunities for fans to engage with Lionsgate’s content. As creators expand their businesses, we’re growing alongside them. The Roblox partnership allows us to empower creators by collaborating with them, connecting them to our fan communities and helping to drive growth.” Other Lionsgate digital entertainment includes Evil Dead The Game, Ash vs. Evil Dead RetroRealms, psychological horror game Blair Witch; top-selling Five Nights at Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted; and Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. Brown also oversees the John Wick AAA video game currently in development. In addition, under Brown’s leadership, the Consumer Products division has secured new partnerships with major licensees around the world, including LEGO, Hot Topic, ColourPop and more across Lionsgate’s top film and TV properties. “It’s really important for us to not only meet our fans where they are, but to anticipate where they’re going to be and create an always on- ecosystem for them,” adds Brown about the long term plans for the Global Products & Experiences division, “Movies and TV aren’t always on, so the ability for fans to be able to meaningfully and authentically interact with our content in all ways is important.”
