Another of Disney’s classic theme park rides is set to get the big screen treatment. Deadline has reported that Hawkeye directors Bert & Bertie are in negotiations to direct a movie based on the Big Thunder Mountain attraction at Disney Theme Parks.
The original Big Thunder Mountain ride opened in 1979 at Disneyland. “Legend has it that after gold was discovered in the 1850s, eerie incidents took place in the mine,” reads the official description of the ride. “Trains would take off and race through tunnels… by themselves. As you enter the cursed cavern, your train speeds up along the rickety track. Shoot under a booming waterfall and dodge a falling boulder from an unexpected landslide as you swoop around sharp turns and drop into desolate canyons. On this rip-roaring adventure, you may learn that some legends turn out to be true…” The ride went on to be featured at Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Park in Paris. Plot details regarding the Big Thunder Mountain movie are being kept under wraps, but the description of the ride is vague enough to leave plenty of space for the movie.
Disney has been keen on turning their most popular rides into movies, but for every Pirates of the Caribbean, there’s a Haunted Mansion waiting in the wings. Here’s hoping Bert & Bertie have better luck with the Big Thunder Mountain movie. The project is set to be scripted by Kieran and Michelle Mulroney with LuckyChap Entertainment and Scott Free producing. In addition to Marvel’s Hawkeye series for Disney+, Bert & Bertie have also helmed episodes of Kidding, The Great, and Our Flag Means Death. Deadline reported that Disney was is very excited about their vision for the movie.
The most recent movie based on a Disney theme park attraction was Jungle Cruise starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. The next will be Disney’s latest stab at bringing the Haunted Mansion to life. Starring Rosario Dawson, Lakeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Jared Leto, Danny DeVito, and Jamie Lee Curtis, Haunted Mansion will be released on March 10, 2023.