Back in 2003 Pirates of the Caribbean showed that films based on theme park attractions can work, because it’s 12 years on and that franchise is far from over. The next ride in line for a big-screen adaptation is Disney’s Tower of Terror which is based on the TV series The Twilight Zone. So far, John August is tied to bringing the ride to life. August has frequently worked with director Tim Burton on films that include Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie, which suggests the film will be a family-oriented horror, rather than a full-blown terror-fest designed to scare your socks off.
Tower of Terror was actually adapted as a made-for-TV feature starring Kirsten Dunst in 1997 with D.J. MacHale as the director. That story is set 60 years after 5 people become ghosts when an elevator plunges 11 floors in a hotel. A reporter and his daughter (Dunst) are told they must find a belonging from each of the disappeared to help them be free of the hotel. How much of this will be featured in the new adaptation is unknown, but Disney are on the lookout for a new writer, so keep your eyes peeled for more news on that.
