Yahoo News Goonies Superfan Buys Movie House for $1.65M, Promises to 'Preserve and Protect' the 'Iconic' Home
"What a fairy tale story! I guess dreams really do come true," the buyer said in a statement provided to PEOPLE
Nearly 40 years after finding fame in The Goonies, an iconic Oregon home in the "Goondocks" has a new owner, who promises to be a steward of its legacy.
Oregon-based entrepreneur and Goonies superfan Behman Zakeri purchased the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in the town of Astoria just three months after it went on the market for $1.65 million in November 2022.
He recounted the origin of his love for the cult-favorite movie in a statement shared with PEOPLE: "After seeing Goonies in the summer of '85 with my best friend Michael AKA Mikey, my brother, baby sis, and Mom, I immediately became a Goonie," Zakeri said.
"Being a 'Goonie' means to me that no matter what walk of life my friends and I came from, we could always stick together," he explains. "My childhood friendships were, and still are, instrumental to my development and success. Buying this home is one huge step in showing your dreams can become a reality with the right friends around you."
In the film, which was directed by Richard Donner and written by Chris Columbus from a story by Steven Spielberg, the home belonged to Mikey (Sean Astin) and his big brother Brandon (Josh Brolin).
When a wealthy developer attempts to buy the property to build a golf course, the brothers find a treasure map in their attic and set out to find the gold and save their house with a little help from some friends (played by Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Ke Huy Quan, Jeff Cohen and Kerri Green).
Related: The Goonies Cast Reunite to Reenact Scenes from Movie — and Steven Spielberg Stops By!
The two-story Victorian home has panoramic views of the same gorgeous Pacific Northwest coastline showcased in the movie that Zakeri says he is dedicated to preserving.
"Every Goonie should know that I view myself as the caretaker and steward of the home," he expressed. "Decades down the road someone else will get to own this dream as their own just as I do. My goal is to preserve and protect this iconic landmark."
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Zakeri adds that he is looking forward to reliving hismemories from the film that shaped his childhood now that he is the home's new owner.
"This whole experience is surreal," he explains. "One of my childhood best friends, who was my neighbor in the '80s, will now be my neighbor again nearly 37 years later. We endlessly played the Goonies as kids, and now we will be living at the Goondocks!"
Calling the purchase "a fairy tale story," he added, "I guess dreams really do come true."
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