WThe inaugural stage adaptation of the globally acclaimed book and film series The Hunger Games is set to debut in London next week, offering fans an “emotional” and “immersive” adventure for those willing to shell out up to £200.
Located at Canary Wharf’s specially designed 1,200-seat Troubadour, the production will feature Hollywood star John Malkovich portraying the nefarious President Snow, who oversees a televised spectacle of mortal teenage combat. This event is part of a recent surge in launches aimed at tapping into the growing consumer appetite for experiential entertainment tied to successful franchises.
From escape rooms and ax throwing to slumber parties and the Secret Cinema’s recreation of iconic scenes from Back to the Future at Olympic Park, the market for innovative and unique outings is booming. Recent pop-up attractions have been linked to Minecraft, Jurassic World, and Squid Game.
With significant investment flooding into this sector, companies are increasingly counting on proven intellectual properties to draw crowds, often with varying degrees of success.
“We’ve examined numerous immersive experiences,” says Hollywood investor Chip Seelig, who supports Come Alive!, a theatrical venture inspired by the 2017 film “The Greatest Showman.” “Even prominent intellectual property does not assure success. Attracting an audience without a globally recognized IP is quite challenging. We see this as a crucial factor for success.”
Seelig’s TSG Entertainment co-financed and produced the blockbuster film. Before its release, he sought ways to bring it to life through real-world experiences and reached a rights agreement with 20th Century Fox, which is now part of Disney.
Disney also has plans to present its more traditional theatrical interpretation of The Greatest Showman, which is set to premiere at Bristol Racecourse in the spring.
While productions like Come Alive! have shown promise, successfully extending performances for another year at the former BBC Earth Experience site, the commercial viability remains uncertain due to the high costs associated with live productions.
The challenges faced by traditional theater serve as a cautionary tale for the emerging field of immersive entertainment.
A recent report by The New York Times highlighted that none of the 18 commercial musicals that premiered on Broadway last season turned a profit, with at least three that had budgets of $20 million (approximately £15 million) closing within four months of opening.
Since the pandemic ended, only 3 out of 46 new musicals not based on existing, familiar IP have turned a profit.
An additional hurdle for the still-nascent experiential industry is that the gold rush mentality has led many operators to launch events that often fall short of expectations.
Last year, an unofficial event dubbed the “Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball,” priced between $150 and $1,000, went viral for the wrong reasons when attendees were seen sitting on the floor munching Kit Kats while watching a lone pole dancer perform.
Similarly, Glasgow’s poorly executed Willy Wonka Experience, advertised as a “festival of chocolate in all its delightful forms,” garnered negative global attention when it was abruptly canceled, prompting police involvement due to angry families who had spent hundreds of pounds on an event that left children in tears.
The current productions have faced criticism. Ticket prices for Elvis Evolution, which premiered at London’s Excel Center in the summer, range from £75 to £300. It was initially marketed as a concert experience featuring “AI and holographic projection of stars.”
The original promise of a “life-sized digital Elvis performing iconic moments from music history for the first time on a UK stage” ended up showcasing AI-generated “luxury archival footage.”
Layered Reality, the production company behind the show, admitted that the hologram had not been included by the time tickets went on sale but claimed to be “overwhelmed” by positive feedback from attendees.
One attendee described the experience as “absolutely awful,” while a VIP ticket holder labeled it “a shambles from start to finish.”
While some fans appreciated it—one enthusiast claimed to have “Loved every minute”—reviews remain mixed. The Telegraph awarded it one star, while Time Out provided a slightly more favorable three-star rating, noting a “fair amount of booing.”.
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“The immersive arts and entertainment sector is certainly not on the verge of collapse,” declare analysts at Gensler Institute in their 2025 Immersive Entertainment & Culture Industry Report. “Nevertheless, confusion is beginning to arise as lesser quality offerings are filtered out.”
“The current trend in the industry is setting unrealistic expectations, exacerbated by a flood of AI-generated imagery and misleading marketing language.”
Gensler’s report estimates that the global immersive entertainment market is valued at £98 billion this year, with predictions of reaching £351 billion by 2030.
Little Lion Entertainment (LLE), responsible for the Crystal Maze live experience in London and Manchester based on the cult classic TV show from the 1990s, has secured a 10-year rights extension with production company Banijay.
“This isn’t just an expansion; it’s the start of a global adventure,” stated Tom Lionetti Maguire, founder and CEO of LLE. “We’re reimagining the Crystal Maze experience for future generations.”
The success of Secret Cinema, a pioneer in producing events themed around films and shows like Star Wars, Stranger Things, and James Bond, indicates that well-funded media executives remain optimistic about the future of this sector.
In September, news broke that Ari Emanuel, a Hollywood heavyweight who co-founded the US entertainment conglomerate Endeavor and currently leads World Wrestling Entertainment and Ultimate Fighting Championship, was nearing a deal to purchase the parent company of Secret Cinema.
Emanuel’s global events firm is close to finalizing an agreement with Todayics Group, a US-based digital ticketing company that acquired Secret Group in a $100 million transaction in 2022.
TodayTix co-founder Merritt Baer shared that the company opted not to launch any productions last year as it “reorganized and reimagined what our audiences want.”
“Many are throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks,” he noted. “If they fail to meet audience expectations, it can create lasting damage and erode trust in the sector.”
“Secret Cinema boasts a strong brand and heritage, emphasizing its commitment to quality and aiming for the upper echelons of its industry. Numerous savvy individuals recognize that the experience is where the past connects with the future.”
“Companies like Netflix, Apple, Amazon, and others have significantly elevated the standards for both the quality and quantity of content entering our homes. Producers of live theater and events must similarly elevate their offerings to entice audiences away from their living rooms.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
