BD part 2 trailer to debut on Hunger games

The trailer for the fifth and final "Twilight" movie, "Breaking Dawn Part 2," will debut exclusively on "The Hunger Games" in March -- the first significant example of synergy between Lions Gate Entertainment and its new subsidiary Summit Entertainment.

When the studio acquired Summit in January, Lions Gate executives touted the opportunities that would come from bringing together two of Hollywood's hottest young adult franchises. Because fans tend to get excited about seeing the first trailer for a highly anticipated sequel, Lions Gate is betting it can bring the huge base of "Twilight" fans to the opening weekend of "The Hunger Games," which debuts March 23.

"'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2' trailer will debut exclusively on every 'Hunger Games' print on its opening night for what will be Lions Gate's largest release ever," Santa Monica-based Lions Gate's chief executive Jon Feltheimer said on a conference call with analysts Friday following the release of its financial results.

While anticipation for "The Hunger Games" is high, the film is still a risk for Lions Gate, which spent nearly $100 million to make the picture before the benefit of tax credits and international pre-sales. This is the studio's biggest film budget to date. The company is counting on a successful launch for the March release to not only generate immediate profits but create momentum for three planned sequels. "Breaking Dawn Part 2" will open in November.

A successful launch for "The Hunger Games" will help Lions Gate to replace Summit's "Twilight," which ends its run on the big screen with the fifth installment. Four previous movies have grossed a total of $2.5 billion worldwide and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in profits.

Asked on the conference call whether there could be a sixth "Twilight" film," Lions Gate motion picture group co-chairman and former Summit co-chief Rob Friedman said that was entirely up to Stephenie Meyer, author of the teen vampire books.

If she were to write a sixth book, he said, Lions Gate would eagerly support it with a big screen adaptation.