Disney Just Confirmed Its Next Big Movie Franchise (And It Could Genuinely Run for Decades)

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Disney is investing in a new movie that has the potential to launch a long-running, highly successful franchise, possibly even rivaling Marvel in its staying power. This isn’t just wishful thinking – the film is based on a hugely popular book series and would be the first truly successful movie adaptation of the books.

On top of everything else, the film is being directed by two of the most celebrated directors currently working, and based on a script from a highly-regarded, award-winning writer. After almost 50 years, everything is finally coming together to share this beloved story with a new audience.

Choose Your Own Adventure Is (Finally) Getting A Movie

20th Century Studios, owned by Disney, is working on a movie based on the “Choose Your Own Adventure” book series. These interactive books first became popular in 1979 with the release of “The Cave of Time.” The film will be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known together as Radio Silence. They previously directed the horror film “Ready or Not” and successfully rebooted the “Scream” franchise with the fifth and sixth installments. More recently, they directed the vampire movie “Abigail” and the sequel “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.”

The film will be directed by Bettinelli-Oplpin and Gillett. The script is written by Tom Bissell, an award-winning writer known for his work on video games like Batman: Arkham Origins and Uncharted 4. He’s now also writing for television shows such as Star Wars: Andor and The Mosquito Coast, and the film The Disaster Artist.

How Do You Even Make A Choose Your Adventure Movie?

It’s still unknown which Choose Your Own Adventure book will be made into a movie, or how the filmmakers, Radio Silence, plan to approach the adaptation. They could create a traditional movie based on one book, an interactive film that captures the spirit of the books, or even an anthology film featuring multiple stories.

A big question facing this project is why Hollywood hasn’t adapted these books in the almost 50 years since they were published. Netflix previously tried to pioneer interactive films with David Slade’s 2018 release, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, which won two Emmys but proved confusing for many and didn’t lead to further development in the genre. Both Bandersnatch and another interactive film, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend (2020), quickly lost popularity, and Netflix even removed them from its platform last year. As a result, the interactive movie format has largely disappeared.

Choose Your Own Adventure books are interactive stories where readers make choices that determine how the plot unfolds. Instead of reading passively, you decide what happens next, like which path to take or how to react to characters. These books are unique because they’re written as if you are the main character – the story directly addresses you as ‘You.’ Translating this ‘choose your own adventure’ feel into a movie has always been a challenge, but the filmmakers at Radio Silence might have found a new way to do it.

Choose Your Own Adventure Can Be A Major Movie Franchise Success

The source material for this film franchise – a massive library of 184 books – offers plenty of stories for years to come, as long as the filmmakers develop a distinct and engaging style. What’s great is that the Choose Your Own Adventure books cover a wide range of genres, from action and sci-fi to horror, mystery, historical fiction, and survival stories.

Essentially, as long as the look and feel remain the same, Choose Your Own Adventure has the potential to become a self-sufficient production company, creating diverse films that all capture the interactive spirit of the original books. It’s a proven concept with lasting appeal, representing a significant untapped opportunity.

A movie based on the popular “Choose Your Own Adventure” books is being made! Join the conversation and share your ideas for the film on the ComicBook Forum.

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2026-05-23 00:44