Top 10 Movies Based on Theme Park Rides
Movies can find their roots in just about anything. Some are based on books, comics, TV shows, other movies, real life, and some are even based on theme park rides. Every movie that fits this bill (not counting sequels/remakes) is listed & they all come from Disney.
Pirates of the Caribbean- Far and away the most well known film on this list, I’d say this is really the only film that has surpassed the popularity of the ride. The first film ‘The Curse of the Black Pearl’ received 5 Oscar nominations including a Best Actor nomination for Johnny Depp in his iconic role of Jack Sparrow. Depp would appear in the films 4 sequels, with an ensemble cast also including Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Bill Nighy, Ian McShane, Javier Bardem, & Jonathan Pryce. The second film, ‘Dead Man’s Chest’ became the 3rd highest-grossing film ever (it now sits at #42) & the fourth film, ‘On Stranger Tides’ became the 6th highest-grossing film ever (it now sits at #46). Spinoffs, sequels, and reboots have all been discussed, but nothing has come to fruition yet. Most recently the 6th film is said to be a reboot, but Disney hopes to see Depp appear (which just to be clear, would mean it’s not a reboot). A spinoff starring Margot Robbie is also in preproduction, while another spinoff starring Ayo Edbiri is also rumored. The ride ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ can be found at 4 different Disney parks and has since incorporated characters & attributes from the films.
Tomorrowland- ‘Tomorrowland’ isn’t actually a ride as much as it is a ‘themed land’ located at several Disney parks. The area emphasizes futuristic ideology & technology, heavily inspired by Jules Verne. In 2015, a film based on the ride was released starring George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, & Britt Robertson where Clooney & Robertson’s characters travel to another dimension (Tomorrowland) led by the antagonistic Laurie.
The Haunted Mansion- This ride at Magic Kingdom & Disneyland Tokyo is a haunted house that immerses the rider in a variety of technologies that emulate ghosts, ghouls, and spirits. The ride has had two films come out, first was 2003’s ‘The Haunted Mansion’ starring Eddie Murphy, followed by 2023’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ featuring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, & Jared Leto. The second film was originally set to be made by Guillermo del Toro, though this fell through. A Halloween special was released in 2021 called ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion,’ which, you guessed it, stars the Muppets.
The Country Bears- This 2002 comedy musical is based on the attraction ‘Country Bear Jamboree,’ and both feature a sleuth of bears that play country music. While the real life ones are animatronic, the ones in the movie are just puppets that look animatronic. The film stars Christopher Walker and the voice of Haley Joel Osment. It grossed $18 million on a $35 million budget and was a critical failure as well.
Jungle Cruise- Based on the ride found in Disney’s Adventureland area of various parks, this 2021 film features a cast including Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Edgar Ramirez, Jesse Plemons, & Paul Giamatti. Johnson stars as a river boat captain who guides Blunt & Whitehall on a quest looking for the Tree of Life, while competing with Germans & conquistadors. The film was delayed several times due to COVID-19 and received mixed reviews, but a sequel is in the works.
Mission to Mars- This 2000 sci-fi film from Brain De Palma takes inspiration from the now defunct ‘Mission to Mars’ attraction. The film stars Gary Sinise, Don Cheadle, Connie Nielsen, Jerry O’Connell, Kim Delaney, & Tim Robbins and follows astronauts on the Earth’s first trip to Mars.
Tower of Terror- This 1997 film was the first film Disney made based on one of their rides. It’s based on ‘The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror,’ but features no connection to the well known TV series. A made-for-TV film, it debuted on ABC & stars Steve Guttenberg and a young Kirsten Dunst. It is nearly impossible to (legally) find in 2024. Another film based on the ride is in talks at Disney.
Space Mountain- This film and the following two are all in works at Disney and little information has been released about them. There have been several attempts to make a film based on the ‘Space Mountain’ rollercoaster and Disney announced in April, 2024 that a script was being written.
Big Thunder Mountain- This rollercoaster that is known as both ‘Big Thunder Mountain’ & ‘Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’ reportedly has a film in works. The film was announced in August, 2022 and is slated to be directed by Bert & Bertie.
Figment- A month later, in September, 2022, Disney announced that they would make a film centered on Figment the purple dragon who is featured as the mascot of Epcot’s Imagination Pavilion. Little news has come since the initial announcement, though we do now Seth Rogen is attached as a producer.
