The Academy Award-nominated movie “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” has some intrigued about the fictional backdrop for the movie. But the many searches for the town are coming up empty on realtor.com®. Instead, visitors will want to search for the movie’s true backdrop: Sylva, N.C.
Ebbing, Mo., is depicted in the Oscar-nominated film “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” which picked up two Academy Awards Sunday night for best actress (Frances McDormand) and best supporting actress (Sam Rockwell).
But the picturesque town showcased in the movie doesn’t really exist. The actual town where the film was shot is Sylva, N.C.
Sylva is trying to use its movie fame status to win over more tourists—and possibly residents.
The town of 2,644 is located within the Appalachians and is less than an hour’s drive southeast of Asheville. It features an old-fashioned main street, which was prominently used in the film. Sylva residents rented out their businesses and homes for the film. The Sylva area reportedly received about $13 million from the film’s production.
But while the film helped to showcase the beauty of the town, the effect on the housing market afterwards has been minimal, local real estate agents say. But the market remained hot before the movie was even released, with properties averaging fewer than 30 days on the market.
“People come here for a lifestyle change,” Kenny Potts, a local real estate broker, told realtor.com®. “They sell their homes in New Jersey or California for $1 million, and get the same thing here for $500,000. The schools are good, the climate is mild, there’s hiking, river sports, a very active senior community—something for all ages.”
Source: “North Carolina Acts as Lovely Stand-In for Missouri in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,’” realtor.com® (March 2, 2018)
