The merchandising on "The Hunger Games" is already pretty exhaustive ... almost as prolific as the studio's presence on the web.
To put it lightly, they've covered a lot of bases with what’s been put on the market for this series. Consider: Did you know that you can actually buy the butterfly and deer false eyelashes seen on Effie Trinket in the Capitol Colours Nail Polish line ad? Yep. True story.
Anyway, collectibles retailer NECA recently released a whole slew of its licensed "Hunger Games" goodies, and they've got everything from Katniss knee socks on up to "Mockingjay" slap bracelets.
Still, we see a few lost opportunities and have put together this wish list of 10 pieces of "Hunger Games" merchandise we'd like to see next.
Effie Trinket-Designed Wig Line
Right now Effie Trinket's pimping nail polish in her Capitol ads, but what she could really sell is a wig line. In fact, we think she could design them herself and put some of that eccentric (read: artistic) taste to good use. She's probably not actually heading for a promotion from District 12 anyway, right?
Parachute-Shaped Tote Bags with Pearl Embellishments
Oh, come on. It'd be all the rage in The Capitol, especially among the sponsors. Imagine the varying shapes, sizes, and colors little parachute-shaped pocketbooks and tote bags could come in. These would be the perfect accessories for even the most subtle "Hunger Games" fanatic. The pearl accoutrement, of course, would be a stylish homage to those star-crossed lover tributes from District 12.
Jabberjay Recording and Repeating Toys
Remember "Pete the Repeat Parrot?" Now, think Jabberjay and selective repeating capacity. This could be a fun — and dangerous — little toy.
Cinna's Gold Eyeliner
We've seen the faux-ads across the interwebs, but we really want this to be real. It was was on our "Hunger Games" Christmas list, after all.
Tracker Jacker Venom Plumping Lip Gloss
In certain amounts, Tracker Jacker venom can cause death hallucinations … but we think the good people of District 1 can fashion up a recipe that avoids those pesky problems and gives a little oomph to ladies' lips. There are plenty of Avoxes running around who wouldn't complain about serving as testers. Anything for the sake of the luxe life, right?
Haymitch-Inspired Spirits
Effie might know her wigs, but Haymitch Abernathy knows his alcohol. We think a line of Haymitch-inspired spirits would be quite fitting to honor that character. Let's face it. There are plenty of us "Hunger Games" fans who are of age.
Capitol Body Paints
Those from Katniss' style team might've been good with permanently dyed skin, but we're looking for something a little less long term. How about a series of Capitol body paints? We'd definitely need an Octavia pea green shade for our collection.
Illustrated Edible Plant Guide from Mr. Everdeen
Katniss' father's know-how about the wild and what is edible within it could come in handy for anyone – even those of us in the nonfictional world … Okay, but we would still want Peeta to custom-paint the illustrations. How our friends at Scholastic haven't thought of this themselves is beyond us.
Flame Suit Halloween Costumes
We predict "The Hunger Games" will be a big theme this Halloween, and number one on our costume wishlist for this year is the pair of District 12 flame suits from the opening ceremonies. Real fire, of course, would be a little too dangerous for the occasion (especially if any of Haymitch's liquors are lingering around), but with a little fringe and panache, these could still be pretty hot.
'Hunger Games' Video Game ... For Real
So, we've talked about TheCapitol.pn social webgame Lionsgate put into effect last fall, and word is they're ramping that up a bit when the film hits by releasing "The Hunger Games Adventures," but we still want an out and out RPG video game. We want to actually play as Katniss – when she's climbing trees, taking down career tributes, blowing up food stashes, the works. This has to happen. Oh, and it's right there in the title – "The Hunger Games." 'Nuff said.
Amanda Bell is a young adult book-to-film enthusiast and has made a name for herself as a fan-friendly, informative and dependable source. In addition to being the District 14 columnist for NextMovie, she runs the popular Twilight Examiner column. Keep tabs on her on Twitter.
