Theme park attractions have been ripe for adaptions into other media, especially in the eyes of Disney. A number of movies have been made based on their classic attractions, including The Haunted Mansion, The Country Bears, The Tower of Terror and the super-successful series of Pirates of the Caribbean films. At least one movie based on a theme park land is on the way in the form of the George Clooney-starring Tomorrowland, and Magic Kingdom from the director of Iron Man is still in contention. That made me wonder what other attractions would be well-suited for movie adaptions. Here are seven Disney attractions I think could be interesting major motion pictures.
1. It’s a Small World
There is some big potential for a movie inspired by the attraction It’s a Small World found at Disney theme parks across the world. I can see Tim Burton making fantastic use of the comforting but also slightly creepy singing children of the world. Imagine the scene where the main characters of the film make their way down the river as the famous song is being played and try to tell me it doesn’t give you tingles. The wide variety of locations featured on the “It’s a Small World” attraction in the span of just a few minutes is definitely enough locations for at least one film, if not a series of movies. The writer and director of an It’s a Small World movie would have to add a lot of details and a strong storyline to make a movie worth seeing, but I have faith that the right ones (like the aforementioned Tim Burton or maybe his collaborator on The Nightmare Before Christmas Henry Sellick) could do it. The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction wasn’t much more complex than It’s A Small World, and it’s already been the basis for four (soon to be five) big budget, hugely successful films!
2. Journey into Imagination with Figment
There was recently a comic book series inspired by everyone’s favorite little purple dragon (read my interview with the writer here), and the plot that makes up those five issues would be an absolutely fantastic basis for a film. The story, published by Marvel Comics and its Disney Kingdoms imprint, featured the Dreamfinder creating Figment and going on adventures with him. In 1910 London, England he brings his purple dragon imaginary friend to life with his Integrated Mesmotic Converter. They precede to fall into the fantasy world Figment was originally from and encounter more magical creatures like a flying chimera. Soon after that they are captured and imprisoned by the supernatural things called sound sprites. That all happens in just the first of a five issue miniseries, so clearly filmmakers have a lot of great material to work from if there’s demand for it.
3. Splash Mountain
Okay, fine, the attraction Splash Mountain was actually originally based on the 1946 film Song of the South. But not many people remember that movie or how it inspired Splash Mountain, so doesn’t it deserve a film inspired by it that’s more current and will be more fondly remembered by theme park fans? I say yes, and I think you should be answering in the affirmative as well.
4. Spaceship Earth
Spaceship Earth is easily one of the richest attraction concepts to mine for a major motion picture. There are so many directions to go with it. A journey through world history akin to the experience on the attraction, a look at a station like Spaceship Earth in the far future or an adaption of one of its various storylines over the years could all be really fascinating.
5. Main Street, U.S.A.
It’s true that a feature film could probably never compare to the experience of walking down the actual street packed full of Americana that always smells of fresh-baked cookies, but a whole movie that takes place in this unique, special setting could make for a captivating story, if told the right way. A street surrounded by things of science fiction and fantasy and told times sounds like an exciting basis for a movie pitch to me.
6. Expedition Everest
This is a fairly recent attraction, having debuted at the Animal Kingdom in 2006, but it’s well-liked and definitely well-deserving of a movie adaption. A story about a group of friends or a family trying to get off a mountain to escape the wrath of an angry yeti is a screenplay that practically writes itself. Expedition Everest is the one and essentially only aspect of the fabled Beastly Kingdom that materialized, which is another big reason it deserves to be celebrated on the big screen.
You could even take that passion people have for the promised but never delivered Beastly Kingdom a step further. Perhaps there could be a movie or series of movies based on Imagineer Joe Rhode’s ambitious concepts for the area as a whole. Just because Pandora – The World of Avatar took its place in Disney’s Animal Kingdom doesn’t mean that the beloved designs and concepts from some of our favorite Imagineers can’t live on in a different form. There’s definitely no shortage of great original material filmmakers can build off of.
7. Space Mountain
I can’t think of any science fiction property more exciting to big Disney theme park fans than Space Mountain. While the attraction itself doesn’t exactly build a huge world for filmmakers to explore, the feel and thrill of the attraction needs to be emulated in a different medium in any way possible. I know I’d get chills going down that flashing tunnel as a moviegoer, especially if the film was in 3D. Does the attraction offer a lot for filmmakers to work from? No, not necessarily. But with some ingenuity and the ability to capture the spirit of Space Mountain an adaption could become everything we want from it and more.
What do you think? Do any or all of these attractions merit their own feature films? Do you have other ideas for what those movies would be like? Let us know on Theme Park Tourist’s Facebook page and in the comments section below.
