The popularity of "The Hunger Games" series and its arrow-shooting heroine Katniss Everdeen has sparked a boom in archery among girls in the U.S.
Since the film series began last year, sporting equipment companies report "a big boost" in the sales of bows and arrows, National Public Radio (NPR) reports.
Denise Parker, CEO of USA Archery, the governing body for the Olympic sport, told NPR that the surge caught many in the industry by surprise.
"We didn't see that coming," she said. "We've had archery in other movies, but never kind of that whole momentum at one time."
Membership in the organization has more than doubled in the past two years, and this month, the Archery Trade Association launched an ad campaign encouraging kids to give archery a try.
With "Catching Fire" opening around the world this month and another two "Hunger Games" films set to open before the Rio Olympics in 2016, the future looks bright for the sport and its growing fanbase -- and not just in the U.S.
Archery is reportedly experiencing a boom in other countries as well, including the UK, after its success at the London Olympics, and France, which held the World Cup series beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris in September, IB Times reports.
It's not just actress Jennifer Lawrence's character that's drawing in the masses; hit television shows such as "Game of Thrones," as well as last year's hit animated movie "Brave" have helped as well.
