Scarlett Johansson is out promoting her next big blockbuster, Jurassic World: Rebirth, but let’s be real; when she sits down with the press, there’s no way Tower of Terror isn’t going to come up. And sure enough, during her interview with Entertainment Weekly, she gave fans something we’ve been craving for a while now: an actual update on the long-in-development Tower of Terror movie.
It’s been a minute since we heard anything concrete about the film. After Disney announced the project with Johansson attached to star and produce, things went radio silent, besides a quick mention after her Black Widow legal drama with Disney. But now? We’ve got proof the spooky elevator ride adaptation isn’t dead in the water.
Johansson Says the Story’s “Taking Shape”—But It’s Tricky
In her EW interview, Johansson confirmed that Tower of Terror is still in the works. “It’s taking shape,” she said optimistically. But she also didn’t sugarcoat how tricky it’s been behind the scenes. “It’s a hard nut to crack,” she admitted. “Harder than you think.”
She’s not wrong. The original ride does have a backstory; it’s part of The Twilight Zone universe and follows a group of people who vanish when their hotel elevator gets struck by lightning—but it’s still a theme park attraction, not a ready-made movie script. Johansson explained that while there is lore, it’s a little “thin” when you try to expand it into a feature-length narrative.
Still, she seemed confident that she and the team would figure it out. “We’ll crack the case of it,” she added. Which, for fans, is enough to hold on to… for now.
Disney Ride Adaptations Are No Joke—Here’s the Challenge
Here’s the thing: turning Disney rides into movies is no easy task. Sure, Pirates of the Caribbean hit the jackpot (thanks, Captain Jack), but a project struggles to get off the ground for every success. There’s a delicate balance between respecting the source material, crafting a good story, and not letting it all feel like a corporate cash-in.
That’s exactly what Scarlett’s up against. As she said, the story isn’t super dense, and it takes serious creativity to expand it without losing the original ride’s eerie vibe.
And let’s not forget the 1997 Tower of Terror TV movie, which starred Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst. It was cute, but it completely ditched the Twilight Zone branding—and in doing so, it lost a lot of what made the ride so compelling. That might’ve been the first misstep.
So, the big question now: Will Disney keep the Twilight Zone connection this time? Or will they avoid the licensing and go it alone again? It’s a risk either way, but fans are definitely hoping they lean into the creepy, classic vibe that made the ride such a hit in the first place.
In the meantime, fans are left waiting for something tangible: concept art, a casting announcement, a release year, anything, to prove this project is more than just talk. Because right now, it still feels like we’re stuck in the hotel lobby… waiting for that elevator to arrive.
