“Hunger Games” Gets Its Own Nail Polish Palette

Forget t-shirts and lunchboxes: The real merchandising win around movies these days involves makeup and fashion brands. Bella's Carolina Herrera wedding dress in the latest "Twilight" movie arrived in stores just days after the premiere, for example, and the much-anticipated "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" movie will hit theaters in conjunction with a complete fashion line inspired by Lisbeth Salander's wardrobe for H&M.

For "The Hunger Games," the hotly-anticipated film adapted from the popular book series, nail polish company China Glaze has plotted a nail polish collection inspired by the movie, set to hit stores on March 1 (just before the movie debuts March 23).

Specifically, the polishes -- titled "Colors from the Capitol" -- are inspired by the fictional capital city of Panem, where the book's heroine, Katniss Everdeen, and her companions encounter untold luxuries and finery after having lived a lifetime in a poor mining town. The polishes have names like "Fois Gras" (a plummy beige), "Electrify" (a bronze-gold shimmer), and "Luxe and Lush," (a clear polish with floating gold pieces).

The nail polish release has not been without a hitch, however. Beauty blogs initially reported on the launch, but were quick to pull the stories after Lionsgate reportedly told both China Glaze and press that the collaboration was off. According to The Hollywood Reporter, American International Industries (which owns China Glaze) then sued Lionsgate for a whopping $10 million. Then, lo and behold, the nail polishes are back on, though with some new colors and new names.

Whatever the details or outcome of the lawsuit, gauging by the amount of publicity the polishes have generated -- and the amount of enthusiasm about the movie overall -- it's fair to say the collection has a good shot at making its sales estimates.

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