Before the Disney Pixar movie Up, we never knew it was possible to fall in love with an animated house. The colorful two-story structure that provided the setting for Carl and Ellie's beautiful but sad love story would be a dream for any homeowner, with or without the whimsical ability to be lifted up with balloons and sailed to Paradise Island. It turns out, for one Utah citizen, it's a dream come true.
Yesterday, an Imgur user posted a photo of the adorable house, writing, "Went to Utah this weekend for a comic con, and saw this! A recreation of the house from Up!"
In 2011, Bangerter Homes re-created the house (reportedly with permission from Disney on the condition that the plans be turned over once completed, making it truly one-of-a-kind) at 13218 Herriman Rose Blvd. in Herriman, Utah, as part of the Salt Lake area Parade of Homes.
"The movie kind of captured the idea that a house is a place where you live and you grow up and you live your life," builder Blair Bangerter told KSL. "We've tried to take this movie and bring it to life in a real home."
Bring it to life they did, with everything—from the white picket fence and weather vane on top—an identical replica of the movie version. Even the inside echoes the interior seen in the film.
However, the Imgur user reported, "The people that live here are not super friendly." A sign on the gate reads, "This is a private residence. No trespassing! No loitering!"
To be fair, we're sure the inhabitants get their share of annoying tourist visits. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Clinton and Lynette Hamblin, the owners, who purchased the house in 2011 for $400,000, are apparently huge fans of the movie and also happen to relate to it very closely. Like Carl and Ellie, they've reportedly experienced the pain of a miscarriage (though they do have other children) and want to grow old together.
"That movie just made us grow as a couple," Lynette told the Tribune. "Life is never over, and adventure is out there." It sounds like the home is in good hands.
(h/t: Popsugar)
