Imagine owning a part of The Hunger Games. Imagine the idea of this enormous crew of designers, actors, producers etc turning up, paying you a nice amount of cash, and using your land to create one of the biggest selling films of 2012. Imagine the amounts of tourism that owning that land could bring you.For many die-hard fans, the idea of owning even a tiny piece of a set piece would be a dream come true, however, for the man who owns the real-life village that created Katniss' hometown, District 12, life hasn't been quite so "dream come true".
District 12, or Henry River Mill Village, in Burke County, North Carolina, is owned by 83 year old Wade Shepherd, and consists of:
- 72 acres of Land
- Woodlands
- Hills
- Pond
- 22 Buildings
- Mill
- Dam
- Water and Fire-Protection systems
The village, which is currently a private property owned solely by Shepherd, was built in 1904 by Michael Erastus Rudisill to house the workers of the Cotton Mill, with 35 workers cottages being built. Following several years of closure, Wade Shepherd purchased the mill in 1976.Unfortunately, Shepherd has grown tired of the tourism that the Hunger Games films has drawn to his town, with regular tours being organised to feed the draw of dedicated fans.
If you're considering putting in an offer for the land (which sounds incredible, even without the film ties), the land and properties have been placed on the market for $1.4 million. Okay, so that probably sounds like a lot of cash for most of us, but whoever snaps up this gem is probably onto a rather large Gold Mine with this purchase!
Assuming that Catching Fire will also be filmed at Henry Mill River Village, which I'm certain many fans are hoping it will, there is a guarantee of continued fan interest in the area, which promises excellent opportunities for future revenue, for whoever buys the land.
