Scarlett Johansson Gives Update on Tower of Terror Movie: Adapting the Ride’s ‘Mystery’ Proves a ‘Hard Nut to Crack’

Scarlett Johansson is inching closer to inviting audiences to step aboard her much-anticipated film adaptation of Disney World’s iconic Twilight Zone Tower of Terror drop ride. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Johansson shared insights into the challenging task of transforming the haunted hotel-themed attraction’s story into a full-length movie.

Years after the project was first announced, Johansson revealed she and Disney are still hard at work refining the film’s narrative. “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!” she explained. The ride’s storyline, rooted in Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone universe, follows five guests transported to the eerie dimension after boarding an elevator struck by lightning inside the Hollywood Tower Hotel.

Johansson noted that the ride’s plot “doesn’t have so much to dig into” when it comes to expanding it for a Hollywood film, and she believes this succinct narrative is part of what makes the attraction so effective. “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,” she said. “It has also proved to be a hard nut to crack. But, we’ll crack the case of it. It’s taking shape!”

Disney previously confirmed Johansson’s continued involvement after resolving a brief legal dispute over the release of 2021’s Black Widow. The studio expressed enthusiasm about collaborating on several upcoming projects, including Tower of Terror.

The Tower of Terror remains one of Disney World’s most beloved attractions, standing 199 feet tall and inspiring iterations at Disney parks worldwide—including locations in France, Japan, and California—each with unique storylines distinct from the Florida original. Notably, the Disneyland version was revamped in 2017 to fit the new Avengers Campus theme, replacing the Tower’s classic theming with a Guardians of the Galaxy makeover.

As rumors swirl about potential updates to the Florida ride, pop star and Wicked actress Ariana Grande recently voiced a heartfelt plea on the Las Culturistas podcast to preserve the attraction’s original spooky charm. “Please allow the iconic and tremendous Tower of Terror to stand tall, permanently in the name of historical preservation, spooky honor, and good, old-fashioned fun,” she urged.

Johansson’s film is poised to be a major new adaptation, but it is not the first cinematic take on the attraction. In 1997, a made-for-TV movie titled Tower of Terror, starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst, was partially filmed around the original ride. However, that version notably removed any connection to the Twilight Zone theming.

With Scarlett Johansson at the helm, Disney’s Tower of Terror movie promises to revisit the mysterious allure of the haunted Hollywood Tower Hotel, aiming to capture the ride’s chilling essence while expanding its story for a new generation. Though the narrative has proved a “hard nut to crack,” fans can be assured the project is “taking shape” and ready to deliver a thrilling cinematic journey into the Twilight Zone