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'Hunger Games' heroine Katniss Everdeen becomes 鈥� a Barbie doll?

Mattel will release a plastic version of the fierce 'Hunger Games' heroine later this year.

In your dose of irony for the day, toy company Mattel recently announced that a Barbie version of 鈥�Hunger Games鈥� heroine Katniss Everdeen is due to be released soon.

The doll is only the latest in a slew of 鈥淕ames鈥� merchandise that鈥檚 been produced to accompany the new movie. Other items have included action figures of main characters, nail polish (which also seems a an odd match with the dystopian world of Suzanne Collins鈥� trilogy), multiple book tie-ins, and even a workout class titled 鈥淭rain Like A Tribute,鈥� to be offered in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and other cities.聽

Dolls of other popular movie and TV characters like 鈥�Twilight鈥浓赌檚 Bella Swan and 鈥�Mad Men鈥浓赌檚 Don Draper as well as doll versions of real-life figures like Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton have been created, but a plastic Katniss seems like an odd fit for many, especially since some associate the Barbie brand mostly聽 with sequined outfits, small plastic high heels, and luxurious toy cars.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to imagine little kids reenacting the bloody combat of the Hunger Games in Barbie鈥檚 Malibu dream house,鈥� wrote about the newest 鈥淗unger Games鈥� tie-in.

expressed concern that a Katniss Barbie would go over the heads of girls who are too young to read Collins鈥� series anyway.

鈥淭he problem is that by the time girls are old enough to be reading 鈥楬unger Games鈥櫬爐hey're probably getting too old for Barbies,鈥� Evans wrote.

However, Mattel told that the newest Barbie will be aimed at adult collectors rather than the usual Barbie audience.聽

The Katniss Barbie is scheduled to be released later this year.

Molly Driscoll is a Monitor contributor.