merchandise
Daily Tee from Ript Apparel Blends Hunger Games and Star Wars, ‘Down With the Empire’
May 14th
We just had to share this with you! Ript Apparel has another fantastic tee that will appeal to both the Star Wars and Hunger Games Geeks out there. It’s only available today, so if you as nerdy about both franchises as I am, get your hands on it before time runs out.
Loving the X-wing Fighter as the Mockingjay, though the idea of the Empire forcing the rebels to fight each other in the ‘Rebel Games’ is both sad and hilarious at the same time.
The shirt will be available until 11:59 pm CT tonight (5/14/12). Click here for more details.
NECA to Release a Second Set of ‘Hunger Games’ Action Figures, Including Rue and Cato
May 14th
If you love action figures, get ready for more Hunger Games merchandise headed our way. NECA has announced a second wave of Hunger Games action figures to add to the collection that all ready features Arena Katniss, Arena Peeta, and Gale. This next set will feature Training Katniss, Training Peeta, Arena Rue and Arena Cato. No official release date has been set yet, but Cool Toy Review states we could see them as early as August.
You can check out all the new figures by clicking on the thumbnails below.
Will you be adding this new merchandise to your Hunger Games collection? Who would you like to see next as an action figure? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks to The Hob and their reader Chris for the tip!
The Hunger Games is Great For Merchandising
Apr 19th
MSNBC has a new report up today on how the popularity of The Hunger Games is delivering a business boom for everything from archery supply stores to cosmetics. Fans who have watched the development of merchandise tie-ins over the last year (including China Glaze nail polish, an entire line of NECA products, and, most recently, a Barbie doll) have watched and wondered as to how many products would end up emblazoned with the Mockingjay emblem.
MSNBC talks about what it takes to get the Games on a product:
Not just anyone can slap The Hunger Games name on a product and go into business, says Lodes. Merchants must get a licensor’s blessing, agree to share a percentage of sales and guarantee a minimum royalty payment with a deposit that can range from $5,000 to $100,000, depending on the product and terms of the agreement.
That hasn’t stopped artisans from putting Katniss’ trademark Mockingjay design on handmade jewelry, infinity scarves, custom sneakers, stationary, you name it. A recent search for The Hunger Games on online marketplace Etsy turned up 7,700 items. Smaller merchants often skirt the issue of licensing by selling unofficial merchandise “inspired” by the movie, says Lodes, and studios may be willing to turn a blind eye if the products support the brand and “aren’t complete knock-offs.”
Mattel’s Katniss Everdeen Barbie doll notwithstanding, The Hunger Games hasn’t attracted the kinds of big-ticket promotional tie-ins that typically accompany other blockbusters. Blame it on the macabre storyline of kids killing kids. But experts say the flick — part of a trilogy — still has the potential to be as big a brand as the likes of Harry Potter or Twilight, and small companies have been piggybacking on the movie’s success. “It appeals to a broad audience,” says Agata Kaczanowska, who is a lead market analyst at Los Angeles research firm IBISWorld and herself a fan. “You have the Capitol style, which is very high fashion, and then you have Katniss’s style, which is more about the outdoors.”
You can put Hunger Games on just about anything– for the right price. You can read the rest of the article here.
What is your favorite piece of Hunger Games merchandise? Is there anything you wish they’d make or a product that should never be linked to the series? Let us know in the comments!
Video: Sneak Peek at Tonner’s ‘Hunger Games’ Line of Dolls, Peeta, Mockingjay Pin
Apr 18th
Earlier we posted a release about the upcoming Hunger Games line of Character Dolls from Tonner. Now, take a sneak peek at the Peeta doll and Mockingjay pin, courtesy of Tonner’s YouTube Channel.
In the last video, which was uploaded on April 10th, it mentioned hoping to have the samples read in the next couple of weeks. So excited to see them!
Thanks to The Hob for the tip!
Tonner Doll Company To Create ‘Hunger Games’ Character Line of Figurines
Apr 18th
Move over Katniss Barbie, another collector’s doll will be hitting the market soon. Tonner Doll Company has been granted the rights to make a line of figures based on The Hunger Games.
According to a press release from Media Connection Online:
Dumbledore from the Tonner Doll Collection
Tonner Doll Company, an award-winning designer and manufacturer of high-end collectible dolls and figures, has been granted the license for character figures based on the film The Hunger Games, which arrived in theaters nation-wide on March 23, 2012.
Sculpted in the likenesses of the film’s lead characters – Katniss Everdeen (as portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence), Peeta Mellark (as portrayed by Josh Hutcherson) and Gale Hawthorne (as portrayed by Liam Hemsworth), the TONNER CHARACTER FIGURE™ (TCF) dolls are fully-authorized and highly-collectible.
The Hunger Games TONNER CHARACTER FIGURES™ will range from 16″-17″ tall with multiple articulated joints for expressive poses and mobility. In keeping with the fine detail and high-end quality of Tonner’s other popular product lines, they will feature hand-painted facial features, and high quality Saran hair.
Robert Tonner, CEO and acclaimed doll artist, will be overseeing the creation of the unique figures, which will be made to a ¼ scale. With authentic costuming based on actual costume samples from the film that were provided by the production, no detail will be overlooked, and the dolls will be sure to satisfy even the most attentive fans.
Based on Suzanne Collins’ best-selling book series with 36.5 million copies currently in print, The Hunger Games has not only captured the hearts of people everywhere, but also became a box office sensation, with the the third largest domestic opening weekend in box office history.
Tonner Doll has found great success with cinema-inspired dolls and figures, and their repertoire has included the likes of Harry Potter, Twilight, Pirates of the Caribbean and Gone with the Wind, to name just a few.
Want an idea of what you can expect? Check out the rest of the Harry Potter collection here.
UPDATE: Check out a video preview of the Peeta doll and Mockingjay Pin here.
Are you excited for the Tonner Line? Let us know in the comments.
‘The Hunger Games’ Wall Graphics Now Available from Fathead
Apr 12th
Want a giant Katniss for you wall? What about Peeta or Gale? Or maybe a simple flaming mockingjay? Well Fathead has you covered.
DETROIT, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Fathead, the leading brand of officially licensed and custom wall graphics, releases THE HUNGER GAMES Collection of Fathead wall graphics. The special edition of eight, vibrant, action-packed images feature the larger-than-life characters from the blockbuster film adaptation of the bestselling book by Suzanne Collins. THE HUNGER GAMES begins when sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in her younger sister’s place to enter the Games – a government sponsored, nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
THE HUNGER GAMES Collection of Fathead wall graphics include; a stunning mural close-up of Katniss Everdeen and life-sized, die-cut REAL.BIG’s of Katniss and friend Gale Hawthorne along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. A one-of-a-kind REAL.BIG die-cut of all 3 characters on one sheet and a powerful replica of THE HUNGER GAME insignia complete the REAL.BIG collection. There are also two more space-friendly images available of Katniss and the insignia in the Fathead Junior size. Fathead invites fans of THE HUNGER GAMES to select their favorite image or collect them all. The officially licensed THE HUNGER GAMES wall graphics all feature extra exclusive images on each sheet.
REAL.BIG. Fathead Wall Graphics are high definition images made of durable, high-grade vinyl that is tear and fade resistant. Fatheads are designed with a special adhesive backing that enables them to be moved from wall to wall with no damage to the surface, which are the perfect solution to decorating rooms where nails, tack and tape are an inconvenience.
Fathead is the only source for THE HUNGER GAMES wall graphics collection and available exclusively at Fathead.com
Will you be buying a wall graphic from Fathead? Let us know in the comments.
First Look at the ‘Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen Barbie from Mattel
Apr 9th
EW has our first look at the Collector’s Katniss Everdeen Barbie in the works from Mattel.
Desinger Bill Greening, explained to EW why he chose this look rather than the reaping or Capitol looks for the doll.
“I chose to dress her in the outfit she wears during the games, since this is where all the non-stop action takes place and is instantly recognizable by fans,” says Greening of the Katniss Barbie. “Of course, she wears her mockingjay pin proudly on her lapel.”
Designers at Mattel created Katniss’ look by going straight to the source and examining the actual costume that Jennifer Lawrence wore in The Hunger Games. “Hopefully Hunger Games fans can appreciate the attention to detail,” Greening says.”The doll’s minimalistic style and details — such as her loosely braided hair and makeup-free look — also really embody the heroic character Katniss.”
Of course, it took a true fan to create such a doll. “I am a huge Hunger Games fan and loved all three books, so it was truly an amazing experience for me to be able to design the Katniss Barbie doll,” Greening says. “I think it really pays tribute to Katniss and The Hunger Games.”
The Hunger Games‘ Katniss Barbie will be available everywhere in August.
The Hunger Games Katniss Barbie is now available for pre-order from BarbieCollector.com for $29.95 with a limit of 5 dolls per order.
They also provided some much larger photos of the doll, you can check out them below by clicking on the thumbnails.
What do you think of the look of the Katniss barbie? This is a “doll”, that is designed more for collecting than play, so will you be pre-ordering one? Let us know in the comments.
Source EW
The Hunger (Console) Games?
Apr 3rd
Since the release of The Hunger Games fans have been given the opportunity to play two games based on the franchise: a facebook based social networking game called The Hunger Games Adventures and a iOS game called The Hunger Games: Girl on Fire. Both of these games share two commonalities: both are free and neither takes place in the actual Arena- instead focusing on Katniss’ life in District 12.
Both of those things could be up for negotion though, if The Hunger Games makes the leap into console gaming.
Forbes.com is reporting that Lionsgate is actively exploring the possibility of expanding the world of The Hunger Games deeper into virtual reality, hoping to grasp onto the same success mega-franchises like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings have had with film to game adaptations:
“I don’t think having kids battle to the death in the Hunger Games is a hindrance to a potential console game,” said Hayes. “If you look at the narrative arc across the trilogy of books, there’s an Old Testament-style story of Katniss versus the Capitol. It’s that grander story of having an enslaved people forced to compete in the games that’s very attractive to fans and marketers and anyone participating in the franchise. It gets people excited. The focus would be less on the kids killing kids aspect and more about the more powerful story of good versus evil.”
With Catching Fire, the second movie in the franchise, slated for a November 22, 2013 release, there’s plenty of time to develop a console game. There’s also time, with two additional movies slated to hit theaters after that, to develop a full-on MMO game like The Lord of the Rings Online or The Matrix Online.
Console Games (especially an MMO) provide a host of opportunities for Lionsgate to further develop the world of Panem, engaged the coveted male demographic, and keep excitement up in the long gap between the first and second films. However, there are a lot of potential pitfalls in adapting the book/film into a game– the most glaring being that the series’ message of the dangers of violence as entertainment seems to undermine the most obvious paths for the game’s design.
What would you think about a Hunger Games video game? Can it be done in a way that remains true to the books? Let us know in the comments!
Check out a Sneak Peak Video of The Girl Who Was on Fire Video Game for iOS Devices
Mar 19th
More details are being revealed about The Girl Who was on Fire Video Game for iOS Devices that will be released this Thursday, March 22, 2012. Check out this exclusive report from Kotaku:
We’ve got the first look at the game in action from the folks at Lionsgate, and, what do you know? It’s a runner, like the great iPhone game Canabalt. That makes perfect sense, since the game—full title: The Hunger Games: Girl on Fire—was created by a team led by Canabalt creator Adam Saltsman.
Girl on Fire stars Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen and is set in the forest outside her home, where, according to the official game summary, she is “attacked by swarms of Capitol-engineered tracker jackers.” The game is set before the movie but references the film and the Suzanne Collins book on which all of this is based. You can run, jump levels, aim and shoot—all a bit more complex than Canabalt but hopefully just as fun.
You can see a brief clip of Katniss running in the game below, and check out an even longer sneak peak at Kotaku showcasing Katniss on the run from the trackerjackers.
Will you be downloading this free game for your iPad or iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
First Look at ‘Hunger Games: Girl On Fire’ IOS Game
Mar 8th
Touch Arcade has scored some first look images at the new IOS (iPad and Ipod/Iphone touch) game that will be hitting your app store soon! They reveal that the game will take place ‘early’ in the chronology of the film which makes it sound like hunting in District 12 to us!
Right, the images. Below, we’ve got an actual in-game look of lead protagonist Katniss Everdeen, as well as a shot of a level. Adam Saltsman, a member of the indie dream team heading up the title, describes Girl on Fire as a runner-y, shooter-y kind of thing. Like us, we think you’ll understand the categorization immediately after peering at the level specifically.
Here’s what a basic level will look like, so it appears it will be a pretty straight forward game where players will run and jump (like a Mario game)– though that is just speculation as nothing has been confirmed.
Will you be downloading Hunger Games: Girl on Fire for your IOS device? Let us know in the comments!
