Disney has had a history of adapting their theme park attractions into live action spectacles. Some of these movies have either made money at the box office or left a special place in people’s hearts, such as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise or 1997’s Tower of Terror. Other titles have been forgotten by time or were poor performers at the cinema, like The Haunted Mansion and The Country Bears. What all the movies I mentioned have in common, besides the obvious, is how the selected attractions are those the majority of the movie-going audience has either heard of or has experienced themselves. Now Disney is breaking that track record by creating a film around their dining club, Club 33. In an article from The Hollywood Reporter, Borys Kit writes how a movie about Disneyland’s Club 33 is in the pre-production stage. The project even has a synopsis, which is the following:

“…the story centers on a young aspiring detective who receives a mysterious invite to the highly secretive Club 33. In this case, it’s a magical and exclusive dining club whose members are the greatest and most iconic figures from across history. When a murder is committed on the premises, the patrons look to the young detective to solve it”.

Attached to the production are Darren Lemke (who will write the film’s script), Emily Morris (the executive of the studio, 21 Laps Entertainment), as well as Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Dan Cohen.

If I could describe this piece of movie news in one word, it would be “odd”. As of the publication of this article, Disney’s reputation and finances are not as strong as they were in years past. The financial woes of movie theaters are directly connected to the financial woes of film studios, including Disney. So, Disney’s solution to these problems is to create a movie about a piece of their park’s fabric that the majority of the movie-going audience will never get to experience? Club 33 was founded in 1967 and it is “a dining area where Disney hosted celebrities, dignitaries, and friends”. Throughout Disneyland’s history, Club 33 has earned the reputation of being “an elite stealth club”. What isn’t mentioned in The Hollywood Reporter article is just how exclusive Club 33 is, from membership dues costing thousands of dollars to a several years long wait list.

Making movies, from a business perspective, is about trying to get as many people as possible to see a given movie. This, hopefully, will lead to that given movie earning as much money as possible. One strategy is to weave a story or theme into a movie that could be relatable for the majority of theater attendants. In my recent review of the 1988 made-for-TV film, Dance ‘Til Dawn, I mentioned how the story’s prom party reminded me of the Disneyland attraction, Videopolis. Though most theater patrons have never experienced or even heard of Videopolis, many people have a sense of longing or nostalgia for theme park attractions, places, and times gone by. Therefore, a movie about one of Disney’s older attractions makes more sense, to me, than a film about Club 33.

What are your thoughts on this piece of movie news? Which theme park attraction would you like to see adapted into a movie? Tell me in the comment section below!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Referenced article in this post: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/disney-club-33-movie-darren-lemke-shawn-levy-1235904632/