Some might have believed that the resounding failure of Haunted Mansion would put an end to Disney’s experiments. In 2023, following an old tradition of the big-eared firm, the ghost train was offered a new film. 20 years after the film shot by Eddie Murphy, Justin Simien had to give another chance to this universe populated by ghosts, this old building which contains many secrets. Released in the middle of summer – even though its aesthetic and the themes it invoked promised an autumn launch – the film carried by Rosario Dawnson, Owen Wilson and Lakeith Stanfield only collected $117.5 million at the box office worldwide while its budget is estimated at 150 million. The renovation operation was a resounding failure, it was far from profitable.
And this is not the first time that the box office has been cruel with a production of this kind. Pirates of the Caribbean except, all attempts of the kind ended in failure. Chasing tomorrow, The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy or more recently Jungle Cruise, public appeal seems rather moderate. But Disney hasn’t said its last word.
Space Mountain in development
It was in 2020 that Disney formalized the start of its film Space Mountain. Rethemed in our green lands, the attraction has long been at the heart of the Discovery zone. It featured a journey from the Earth to the Moon, in the pure tradition of the adventures in the works of Jules Verne. When the film was announced, it was the screenwriterObi-Wan Kenobi who should be responsible for the writing. The project has just changed handsaccording to The Hollywood Reporter. Disney has reportedly recruited André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum to bring the project to theaters.
This is not the first time that the two men have collaborated, they were already creating the controversial adaptation of Cowboy Bebop on Netflix. They also participated in the development of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and the Zoo series. Here, they will have to imagine a whole new universe and quantity of characters.
The attraction, born in 1975 in the United States and imported into France in 1995, does not feature any protagonist. It is content to take thrill-seekers through a rocket propelled into space. We can nevertheless hope to regain its aesthetic “steampunk” characteristic, a retrofuturism which could be a hit at the cinema. For the moment, Disney does not specify who the heroes of this new adventure will be, no actor has yet been recruited to take the poster. The release date also remains a mystery.
Still many projects of this type on the go
This first adaptation of Space Mountain is not the only project in Disney’s drawers. The company had already started work on a new adaptation of the Tower of Terror with Scarlett Johansson. Under the direction of Taika Waititi, the film is one of those that have yet to get an official release date. Note that a sequel Jungle Cruise was also announced in 2021, it is expected to star Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson. Released at a complicated time for cinemas, when many restrictions were in place in cinemas, the film did not meet its financial objectives either.
Finally, the only lucrative license in this entire faltering cinematographic universe must also return to the forefront. Disney recently gave news of the stamp Pirates of the Caribbeanwhich is preparing to begin a new chapter in its history and embark on the path of the remake.
Upcoming attraction adaptations
- Jungle Cruise 2
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- The Tower of Terror
- Nautilus the series
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