By
Nina Golgowski
22:07 GMT, 5 April 2012
|
23:00 GMT, 5 April 2012
The site penned as the district ‘where you can starve to death in safety’ in The Hunger Games’ first book, can be all yours for a cool $1.4 million.
Henry River Mill Village, the desolate 72 acreage region in rural North Carolina portrayed as one of 12 post-apocalyptic districts in the recent blockbuster film, is listed for sale.
Filmmakers eying to capture the setting of District 12’s coal town ruins snatched up the overgrown land for filming – which saw its last resident in 1987 – but its owner now says he’s looking for permanent hands to transfer it to following the movie’s success.
For sale: One wealthy Hunger Games fan can now own their very own District 12 as the North Carolina movie set and actual former town goes up for sale
‘I’m getting too many visitors,’ owner Wade Shepherd, 83, who hasn’t read the book – no word on seeing the movie – told the Associated Press.
‘Day and night, they’re driving through, taking pictures, getting out and walking. I’m just bombarded with people,’ he said.
Mr Shepherd lives across from the village that has at least 20 uninhabited buildings and a former company store that was featured as the Mellark family bakery in the movie.
Decorated with blue font that reads ‘pastries’ and ‘cakes’ along its baseline, the rundown building served as the workplace to Hunger Games’ contestant Peeta Mellark in the film, as played by actor Josh Hutcherson.
Peeta’s: Parts of heroine Katniss Everdeen’s district hometown were recreated in the 72-acre town which features the character of Peeta’s family bakery, pictured in the movie
Reality: The actual building used for the filming was an abandoned company store, one of at least 20 buildings within the property
The home of Hunger Games’ heroine
Katniss Everdeen, played by actress Jennifer Lawrence, is also present
as one of the scarce buildings left in the area.
Other scenes like the Reaping, Hob
and the Capitol were shot elsewhere in the state that expects to house
the film crews once again when their sequel begins.
With at least two more movies
expected to be filmed to complete the book’s trilogy, along with a
rumoured fourth, the rush of fans to the area may not be slowing, especially with the help of North Carolina’s Division of Tourism.
Price tag: The vacant town of Henry River Mill Village has been listed by its current 83-year-old owner for $1.4 million
Since the movie the division has launched a four-day
self-guided tour for Hunger Games fans which includes stops in Henry
River Mill Village on its first day.
‘Even
without peacekeepers, mockingjays and nightlock, visitors can connect
to the world of Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch in North Carolina,’ the
tourism division states on their website.
The website reminds that the site is still private property.
Historically raised around a yarn
mill opened in 1905 but which burned down in 1977, the population in Henry River Mill Village
gradually scattered but not without its fair share of mischief.
Flipped: With this latest movie being the first of at least three more, with the second said to be planned for North Carolina again, the current owner undoubtedly believes he’ll turn a profit off his formerly quiet land
Like a trip down District 12’s fictional black
market area called the Hob – where alcohol and other district-prohibited goods can be purchased – following the mill’s closure, the streets of Henry River Mill Village have seen their share of rowdiness that featured weekly poker games.
According to Mr Shepherd: ‘…by Sunday
afternoon, they were all drunk and shooting.’
He says you can just look at the
Coca-Cola sign perched outside the abandoned company store. Decorating
its face is a shotgun hole.
‘This is better than the movie, isn’t it?’ asked Mr Shepherd.
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