Loved 'The Hunger Games?' Why Not Buy District 12?
It's no secret that fans everywhere love "The Hunger Games," which over the last couple of weeks has earned roughly the gross national product of a small country.
So it's also no surprise that just about everyone is trying to cash in on the "Hunger Games" craze however they can, with people selling everything from "Hunger Games" t-shirts and pins to nail polish and Barbie dolls.
But here's something that is a surprise: Someone is actually selling the entire town used as District 12 in the film.
Bet you don't have one of those in your "Hunger Games" collection.
So just how do you go about buying an entire town? Well, according to The Guardian, the process is pretty simple: You come up with $1.4 million and give it to an 83-year-old man named Wade Shepard, who currently owns Henry River Mill Village, the town that was used as District 12 in the movie. Made up of more than 20 buildings on 72 acres of land in North Carolina, Henry River Mill Village was abandoned in 1987 and has remained forgotten for the last 25 years.
Until now, that is. Thanks to "The Hunger Games," a whole cottage industry of fan tours has sprung up — and that's just too big a hassle for Shepard.
"I'm getting too many visitors," Shepard said. "Day and night, they're driving through, taking pictures, getting out and walking. I'm just bombarded with people."
Considering Kim Basinger once shelled out $20 million to buy a town in Georgia, Henry River Mill Village seems like a real steal, even if it comes with the possibility that the buyer may have his or her children seized by the government for use in a televised bloodbath. Let the bidding begin!
