The Scarlett Johansson Tower of Terror movie is moving forward, according to new insights shared by Johansson in a recent interview. Discussing the Disney project, which was first made public in 2021, Johansson revealed that the adaptation is now progressing after encountering creative challenges.
Unraveling the Story Behind the Ride
Scarlett Johansson, set to lead the film, spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the complexities of developing a plot around a theme park attraction with only a light backstory. She noted,
It’s a hard nut to crack. Harder than you think, because the ride itself, there’s some lore to it, but it’s… I don’t want to say thin, but it is, kind of!
—Scarlett Johansson, Actress.
She further described the creative process, stating,
That’s part of the mystery of the ride. It’s been a fun project to work on, because it’s a blue sky project,
—Scarlett Johansson, Actress.
Johansson offered optimism about the project’s trajectory,
But, we’ll crack the case of it. It’s taking shape!
—Scarlett Johansson, Actress.
Background and Creative Team
The current script for Tower of Terror is being written by Josh Cooley, known for his work on Toy Story 4. The original Tower of Terror attraction, also known as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1994. The ride expanded to locations like Tokyo DisneySea, Walt Disney Studios Park, and was featured for a period at Disney California Adventure.
Legacy of the Attraction and Its First Adaptation
The Tower of Terror ride places visitors in an elevator within a fictional hotel where guests once vanished under mysterious, supernatural circumstances.
place riders in a seemingly ordinary hotel elevator, and present the riders with a fictional backstory in which people have mysteriously disappeared from the elevator under the influence of some supernatural element many years previously.
—Wikipedia
In 1997, Disney previously adapted the ride for television in a movie starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst. This project marked Disney’s initial attempt to bring theme park attractions to film, later inspiring features such as The Haunted Mansion and the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
Looking Ahead: Anticipation for the New Film
With Scarlett Johansson confirming progress on the Tower of Terror movie, Disney continues its tradition of transforming its iconic theme park experiences into major film productions. As the creative team develops a compelling story and script, anticipation grows for what could become the next memorable adaptation in Disney’s film library.
