Disney picks Beletic to direct Matterhorn movie

Brian Beletic is ready to climb Disney's Matterhorn. The musicvideo and commercials helmer has inked a deal to direct an adventure pic for the Mouse House but isn't closely tied to its popular Matterhorn theme park ride. Studio has also brought on Brain Farm Cinema, creators of the 3D snowboarding feature "Art of Flight" as production consultants. Although Disney has been adapting several of its popular rides into pics, focus of Beletic's mountain climbing film will be an origin story about a young group of five explorers and adventure seekers, according to sources close to the project. In the pic, the explorers, each with a specific skill set, are brought to the remote backcountry of the Pennine Alps under various guises for a trek across one of the planet's remaining untouched realms, skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering as they encounter some of the world's most beautiful, but also perilous environments. In the face of life-threatening mountain conditions, they unravel the truth about one another, as well as why they were brought there, and ultimately uncover a mountain secret that may cost them their lives while facing off against a covert organization with a long, yet secret history of global exploration. The film does not yet have an official title. Jason Dean Hall is penning the script for the project that Justin Springer ("Tron Legacy") is producing. Ride is a rollercoaster, that opened in 1959, and puts guests in toboggans that travel through the Matterhorn. Updates over the years added animatronic Yetis. Beletic is best known for helming ads for Nike, Dodge, Ikea, Converse, Jordan and Adidas for agency Smuggler. He's also directed musicvids for Cee-Lo Green, the Black Eyed Peas and Fatboy Slim. The Matterhorn pic is the latest theme park ride to get the bigscreen treatment at Disney after "Pirates of the Caribbean" launched a franchise, and the Mouse House tapped Guillermo del Toro to helm "Haunted Mansion," Tom Hanks and Tim Allen to star in "Jungle Cruise" and Jon Favreau to direct "Magic Kingdom," which brings its most popular park to life. David Fincher is also helming "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," which was once a ride. Beletic is repped CAA. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com