'Hunger Games' prequels are planned and will feature arena battles

USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trailer: 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2' Katniss and her district engage in a revolution against the Capitol in 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2.'

Hunger Games fans can expect to see prequels for the hit films, even films showing arena battles.

The studio which brought Katniss Everdeen to the screen in four hit movies will travel back to early battles for upcoming editions, Lionsgate Entertainment Vice Chairman Michael Burns said Tuesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The current films covered the 74th and 75th Hunger Games, which were in elaborate and spread-out terrain. The new films would go old-school with the stadiums, said Burns.

"The one thing that kids say they missed (from the existing Hunger Games films) was there was no arenas," he said. "If we went backwards there obviously would be arenas."

Burns, speaking at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference in New York, compared Hunger Games to Harry Potter, saying it will "live on and on and on."

The Wrap reported that Burns did not believe the fourth Hunger Games opening was disappointing. Mockingjay, Part 2, the final film for star Jennifer Lawrence, opened to a $101 million opening weekend in November, softer than past hits.

“It’s a high-class problem when you’re complaining about a $101 million opening,” he said.