Hunger Games village, District 12, up for sale in America

Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth play Katniss and Gale

The American village used to portray District 12 in the film version of The Hunger Games is going up for sale.

The run-down, coal-mining area is an abandoned textile mill from the 1920s called Henry River Mill Village in North Carolina.

The Profiles in History auction house says it will be sold for at least $1.2 million (£759,000) in July.

District 12 is home to the heroes of the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne.

The 72 acres of land includes 22 buildings, woodlands, hills and a pond.

It is being sold by its owner, 83-year-old Wade Shepherd, who said he had become overwhelmed when the property turned into a hot spot for Hunger Games fans coming to see the Everdeens' shanty home and the Mellark family bakery.

Katniss' house

Profiles in History, which specialises in auctioning Hollywood memorabilia, says its estimate is based on the land's value and doesn't include any mark-up based on its ties with the film.

"It's a really unique opportunity to take people behind the scenes of the film and book," said auctioneer Joe Maddalena.

"When Lionsgate came to film, they didn't have to change a thing.

"The buildings are identical and it's really eerie when you're there, standing in Katniss' house."

The uninhabited village is listed as a private property on North Carolina's official tourism site, which promotes a four-day Hunger Games tour that includes a visit to District 12.

Visitors, however, are not allowed to explore the land on their own.

The Hunger Games is based on the first book of a science-fiction trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

It sees 24 children sent to fight to the death in an annual televised event in future nation of Panem, in which Katniss Everdeen becomes an unlikely heroine for the oppressed.

The film, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, broke box office records after its release in March.

District 12 also plays a key role in the second book of the trilogy, Catching Fire.

The auctioneer said future owners of the village may have the opportunity to work with Lionsgate for shooting the next film.