CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The state tourism office expects an additional economic boost from fans traveling to see locations where parts of “The Hunger Games” were shot.
The high-profile movie, which was released March 23, is based on the first novel in a futuristic trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Parts of the movie were shot across North Carolina, including shoots in Hildebran, Shelby, Concord and uptown Charlotte.
“The movie is already a winner for us," said Keith Crisco, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. "The filmmakers spent more than $60 million in North Carolina, and now fans are eager to come see the locations and go to the restaurants, neighborhoods and other places the stars visited. The money they spend here will be a second payoff for taxpayers."
New travel tools at visitnc.com, like "12 places to experience 'The Hunger Games' in NC," guide visitors to film sites, star hangouts and places that connect with other elements of the novel.
The novel's fictional settings include a "region once known as Appalachia," a sleek city called the Capitol and a forest arena where a contest for survival takes place. A “Hunger Games” tour starts in places that matched the filmmakers' vision -- an abandoned mill village in Hildebran, DuPont State Recreational Forest near Brevard, a warehouse hub in Shelby and modern uptown Charlotte.
More information:
visitnc.com
WSOC
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