Movie Fans Get Hungry for The Hunger Games

Asheville Travel Packages: Survival Skills, Celebrity Suites & Star Stalking

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the Academy Awards just days away, all eyes will be on the red carpet this week, but Oscar buzz will quickly shift to movie predictions for 2012. Critics are touting The Hunger Games. Set in post-apocalyptic Appalachia with a gripping (read: addictive) storyline rife with star-crossed teenage romance, kill-or-be-killed drama and moonshine-induced benders, the movie is poised for box office success. Fans may soon be clamoring for a closer look at its Blue Ridge Mountain location. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120223/DC58660)

Move Over Twilight

Is Asheville the next Forks, Washington? Based on the best-selling trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is already conjuring comparisons to Twilight and Harry Potter. The hot young cast, including Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence and up-and-comer Josh Hutcherson, took up residence in Asheville while filming on location in the surrounding mountains.

Hunger Games Travel Packages

Fans can follow the famous footsteps in their escapades around Asheville or get their hearts pumping with mountain wilderness adventures that put their survival skills to the test.

• Hunger Games Movie Star Adventure Package: Relax in the mountain-view hotel where the stars stayed, have a whitewater rafting adventure like they did and explore cast hangouts. Read the Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook while you dine at their favorite local eateries.
• Survival of the Fittest Travel Package: Enjoy the zip line canopy tour that hosted Josh Hutcherson (photo) and the cast. Then, get ready for the arena with a private survival skills training session before retiring to the "Capitol Wing" of your hotel.
• See more Hunger Games Packages.

Mountain Movie Backdrop

The scenic waterfalls of DuPont State Forest and pristine North Fork Reservoir will make it to the big screen in The Hunger Games, but this isn't the first time that the Asheville area has had a starring role. Home to the highest peaks in the east, lush landscapes and dramatic historical sites, the region has staged many movies including Dirty Dancing, Forrest Gump, The Last of the Mohicans and Patch Adams. Those who have been to Biltmore Estate can easily identify America's Largest Home in Richie Rich and Hannibal.  

Resources

• The Hunger Games on Location via ExploreAsheville.com
• Western North Carolina Movie History
• Real Mountain Moonshine (Haymitch would approve)
• Celebrity Sightings in Asheville

Travel inspiration at ExploreAsheville.com

SOURCE Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau