When the Disneyland Resort opens on April 30th, the iconic snow-capped Matterhorn Bobsleds will remain closed for refurbishment. We can now report that the bobsled ride’s facelift is not the only Matterhorn project Disney is planning to reveal in the near future.
According to our sources, the Walt Disney Company is developing a feature film for Disney+ based on the Matterhorn Bobsleds. The working title for the project is The Hill and Disney is currently in talks with writers for the film.
This project has been in early development limbo for over a decade, but we can now report that the feature film is being developed for Disney’s flagship streaming service, Disney Plus.
This leads to an important question, why now? If this project has been lingering for 10+ years, what sparked this renewed interest in a film based on a park attraction?
According to sources, Disney was overwhelmed by the extremely positive feedback focus groups gave the upcoming Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt action comedy Jungle Cruise. While Disney was confident the film would be well-received, the test audiences confirmed that they have a potential blockbuster franchise on their hands. Giving Disney Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, rather than the less than successful theme park based films, like 2002’s Country Bears.
This has reenergized the Matterhorn project for Disney, as both films will be based on a Disneyland attraction. This also aligns with Disney’s stated goal of having over 100 new Disney+ projects annually.
Disney is in the early stages of production for a number of Disneyland attraction themed films, which includes projects based on Space Mountain, it’s a small world, a Haunted Mansion remake, after the embarrassing Eddie Murphy flop, as well as the long rumored Night at the Museum styled Magic Kingdom film, and the recently announced Disney+ projects that are based on the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (SEA) found in various places throughout Disney’s theme parks.
Read: Justin Simien to Direct Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion’
This upcoming Matterhorn feature is not the first movie based on the nearly 62 year-old tubular rollercoaster attraction. Four months after Matterhorn Bobsleds opened in Disneyland, Walt Disney Productions released Third Man on the Mountain, a film loosely based on the ride. You can find this 1959 coming of age, action-adventure film on Disney Plus.
We will continue to track the progress of this upcoming feature, along with the rest of Disney’s theme park inspired films and series currently being planned and produced, here at The DisInsider.
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