On October 9, Disney announced that a movie based on the popular thrill ride Space Mountain is in the works. It should be noted that the track record for the Walt Disney Company’s attempts of adapting attractions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland has been very poor. With the previous six tries being Tower of Terror, Mission to Mars, The Country Bears, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion and Tomorrowland, it has mainly been a string of failures for Disney – only Pirates of the Caribbean has garnered positive reception. However, since Space Mountain is one of the most popular thrill rides at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, it is possible that this movie could become successful.
Very little is known about the Space Mountain movie other than it is being written by Joby Harold, and the fact that it is in the stages of development. Many fans are unsure of how well a Space Mountain can translate to the silver screen, as there is no plot to the original ride. It is mainly just an indoor roller coaster with hardly any lighting. However, it is arguable that none of the other rides that were turned into movies had much of a plot to begin with, so it shouldn’t be that hard for the people who are behind the project to turn Space Mountain into comprehensible film.
It is not the only upcoming movie based on a ride at the Disney theme parks. Jungle Cruise is set to come out on July 30, 2021. It will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and star Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as the main characters of the film.
Even though most the movies that are based off of Disney theme park rides have been critical and financial failures aside from Pirates of the Caribbean, it does not mean that the Space Mountain movie should be pushed to the side as a movie that is being set up to fail. With the right people behind it, the upcoming film adaptation has the potential to be a winner.
