400-Acre Movie Ranch Near Hollywood Hits the Market for $35M
By Isabelle Durso October 2, 2024 5:51 pm
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Sable Ranch, a 400-acre movie set about 30 miles north of Hollywood, has hit the market with a $35 million price tag.
Camera shop owner Frank Vacek bought the former cattle ranch at 25933 Sand Canyon Road in Santa Clarita, Calif., in the 1970s and turned it into a vast Old West movie set, according to The New York Times, which first reported the news. Vacek’s grandson, Derek Hunt, currently owns the movie set after inheriting it in 2020, according to the Times.
“This is a spectacular, one-of-a-kind property with tremendous potential,” CBRE (CBRE)’s Sam Glendon, who is representing Hunt in the sale, said in a statement to Commercial Observer. “Film production in L.A. needs a boost right now, and Sable Ranch can deliver just that by offering the industry a unique, state-of-the-art production campus. The property’s natural beauty, diverse landscapes and proximity to the studios explain why it has been a successful movie ranch for decades.”
While the marketing process has just gotten underway, Glendon said several buyers have already “expressed interest” in the ranch.
Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California’s Aaron Kirman, who is also representing Hunt in the sale, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Sable Ranch also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since Vacek acquired the property in the `70s, Sable Ranch has been used for major productions including the TV series “American Horror Story” and the Oscar-winning film “Oppenheimer.” And it was used all the way back in 1942 when Ralph Wagner owned it and Abbott and Costello’s “Ride ’Em Cowboy” filmed on the lot.
Everything from feature films to music videos to game shows have been filmed at Sable Ranch, including Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” music video and the obstacle game show “Wipeout.”
The movie set, surrounded by the Angeles National Forest, has amenities including a 200-car parking lot, catering space and a green screen, as well as five houses and two apartments for film crews — with a total of 14 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, according to the Times.
Hunt rebuilt the Old West part of the set after a major wildfire tore through Santa Clarita in 2016, and many of its original structures are still standing, according to the Times.
And while Sable Ranch has been an important part of his family, Hunt — who is not married and has no kids — said he’s ready to pass it down.
“I want to make sure it has a future home and a legacy,” Hunt told the Times. “It can be used either as a big family property or a movie studio. To have a place where Harrison Ford can fly his helicopter to work, where you can build Alaska, it really is a one-off place.”
Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.
