This Dwayne Johnson Movie Failed To Revive Disney's '70s Cult Sci-Fi Franchise

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When Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was cast as the villainous Scorpion King in 2001's "The Mummy Returns", it set him on a journey to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Johnson has lent his talents to several huge hits throughout his career, including "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," "Furious 7," and "Moana." However, there have also been box office failures, including "Black Adam" and "The Smashing Machine."

In his transitional phase from beginning actor to the megastar we know today, he also starred in some only mildly successful movies. "The Tooth Fairy" in 2010 is a good example, but most now prefer not to talk about that. Before that, though, in 2009, Johnson starred in a reboot of the cult classic Disney franchise from the '70s, "Witch Mountain." The movie was called "Race to Witch Mountain," and grossed $106 million against an estimated $60 million budget, making it only a moderate success, considering you also have to factor in marketing costs.

Despite the movie setting up a sequel, Disney never moved forward with it. "Race to Witch Mountain" made money, but it just wasn't the kind that earned further investment in sequels, which can often lead to diminished returns. At least it gave us a popular meme featuring The Rock looking back while driving. "Witch Mountain" is currently among the cult classics that Hollywood is struggling to remake, considering Disney recently canceled a series reboot.

The first film in the "Witch Mountain" trilogy was adapted from the 1968 book of the same name, "Escape to Witch Mountain." It was released in 1975 by Disney, with the story centering around Tony and Tia, an extraterrestrial brother and sister who possess paranormal abilities. They spend the movie running away from an evil billionaire who wants to exploit said abilities. It was a critical and commercial success. The Rotten Tomatoes consensus reads that it "makes up for its lack of high stakes with a charming sense of adventure and excitement."

A second book and movie, "Return to Witch Mountain," were developed together, with both releasing in 1978. The siblings return from their planet, arriving in Los Angeles. Tony gets kidnapped by an evil scientist, and it's up to Tia to rescue him. It was a success, but not on the level of the first film. Critics didn't like this one, pointing out that the sibling charm that anchored the first movie was lost, since Tony spends the majority of the movie in a trance-like state.

A third entry, "Beyond Witch Mountain," which was set between the first two installments, was released in 1982 as a TV movie on CBS. Tony and Tia are captured and must use their powers to escape. It was meant to serve as a pilot for a TV show, and is considered an odd entry due to how it retconned much of the events of the second movie.

Before Dwayne Johnson joined the franchise, Disney brought it back from a long hiatus with a TV remake of the first movie. "Escape from Witch Mountain" aired in 1995 on ABC. The characters were now named Danny and Anna, with a plot that was mostly similar to the first movie but had a few changes. The notable star from the remake was a very young Elisabeth Moss (playing Anna). She's now known for starring in "The Handmaid's Tale," a dystopian series that premiered in 2017, whose sixth and final season scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Then came Johnson's reboot in 2009, "Race to Witch Mountain." This time, the siblings were named Seth and Sara, and Johnson plays Jack Bruno. He's a taxi driver who must help them get back to their home world while protecting them from an evil organization trying to exploit them.

After "Race to Witch Mountain" wasn't a huge success, the franchise went on ice again until 2022, when Disney ordered a pilot for a TV series that would remake the 1975 classic. It was to star Bryce Dallas Howard from the mega-successful "Jurassic World" trilogy and the disastrous spy thriller Argylle. Before fans could rejoice in revisiting a childhood classic, modernized, Disney didn't move forward with the pilot, which had already been filmed. Now the fate of this cult-classic franchise is once again up in the air.