Apple Brings Classic Game “The Oregon Trail” to Life as a Big-Budget Musical Comedy Movie

Apple is preparing to adapt the well-known educational game The Oregon Trail into a high-budget movie, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter (THR).

The game, first created by a few teachers in the 1970s, was initially designed to help students learn about the challenges faced by 19th-century American settlers journeying from Missouri to Oregon. Over time, The Oregon Trail has grown beyond a classroom tool to become a cultural icon, inspiring sequels, modern updates, and even memes that resonate with fans to this day.

For many Millennials, the game carries a special nostalgic value, as they remember playing it in classrooms or at home during the early days of personal computers. The game’s influence is so significant that those born in the early 1980s are sometimes called “The Oregon Trail Generation.”

Recognizing its impact, The Oregon Trail was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2016. In addition, Time magazine listed it among the 100 greatest video games of all time in 2012 and later ranked it ninth on its 2016 list of the 50 best games ever.

While the original game often emphasized survival challenges like disease, hunger, and navigating difficult terrain, the upcoming film adaptation is set to bring a fresh spin as an action-packed musical comedy. This unique approach will allow the story to entertain new audiences while paying homage to the game’s original adventure theme.

A highly regarded team is working on the film, with the script written by Keith and Kenny Lucas—widely known as the Lucas Brothers—and Max Reisman. The Lucas Brothers are experienced in both drama and comedy, having gained fame and an Oscar nomination for co-writing and co-producing Judas and the Black Messiah in 2021.

Directing and producing the film are Will Speck and Josh Gordon, a directing duo recognized for their comedic work on movies like Blades of Glory (2007) and The Switch (2010). Also joining the production is Kevin K. Vafi, known for his work on Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022) and Office Christmas Party (2016).

The award-winning songwriting team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, celebrated for La La Land (2016), will create the movie’s musical elements through their production company, Ampersand.

As the project is in early development, details like the cast, specific plot elements, and release date remain undisclosed. For those feeling nostalgic, updated versions of the game are available for download on modern consoles and computers.