Backlot Stunt Coaster was a steel launched roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, built by Premier Rides and designed by Werner Stengel. It first opened on May 20, 2005 as Italian Job: Stunt Track, themed to the climactic chase scene from the 2003 Paramount film The Italian Job, before being renamed Backlot Stunt Coaster in 2008.
As Backlot Stunt Coaster, the ride kept its signature LIM launch and compact, twisting layout through a faux studio backlot, remaining one of Kings Island’s most re-rideable family thrill attractions for over a decade and a half. For the 2025 season the park retired the Backlot name and re-themed the attraction as Queen City Stunt Coaster, swapping Hollywood references for Cincinnati landmarks while keeping the same track and trains.
Opened: May 20, 2005 (as Backlot Stunt Coaster from 2008)
Height: about 45 ft
Top speed: 40 mph
Length: about 1,960 ft
Inversions: 0
Current name: Queen City Stunt Coaster (since 2025)
The Ride Experience
Riders boarded compact three-car trains that launched via LIM technology from 0 to 40 mph in about three seconds, rocketing out of a faux three-story parking garage shell. The layout packed two upward helixes, an overbanked turn, and a mock helicopter-attack sequence with pyrotechnics into a run lasting roughly one minute, before a water-splash finale near the station.
With zero inversions and a 48-inch height requirement, Backlot Stunt Coaster was built as an accessible, high-intensity launch experience for riders who weren’t ready for Kings Island’s bigger inverted or hyper coasters, while still delivering one of the park’s quickest bursts of acceleration.
From Movie Set to Queen City
The coaster began life in 2005 as Italian Job: Stunt Track, one of three near-identical Premier Rides launch coasters (alongside sister rides at Canada’s Wonderland and Kings Dominion) built while the parks were owned by Paramount. When Cedar Fair dropped the film licensing after acquiring the parks, the ride was rebranded Backlot Stunt Coaster in 2008, trading movie-specific signage for generic studio-lot theming.
The ride’s original MINI Cooper-styled vehicles, developed with BMW, were simplified around 2010. In 2025, Kings Island retired the Backlot name entirely in favor of Queen City Stunt Coaster, reworking the theming around Cincinnati landmarks while leaving the core track layout and launch system unchanged.
These are original ThrillZing photos of Queen City Stunt Coaster taken at Kings Island under its earlier names: as The Italian Job: Stunt Track in July 2005, its opening season, and August 2006, restored and upscaled from the original camera files, and as Backlot Stunt Coaster in July 2022 and June 2023, shot on an iPhone. They show the Premier launched coaster’s parking-garage set, the billboard tunnel with Mini Cooper trains bursting through it, the helix and the stunt set from the Eiffel Tower. Photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page, except the few marked all rights reserved, which show copyrighted characters or artwork.
June 2023
A train on the helix, June 1, 2023. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
July 2022
The billboard tunnel, July 30, 2022. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)Blue Mini Coopers bursting through the billboard. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The billboard up close. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)A white Mini in the tunnel. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)Out of the billboard. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The track up to the billboard. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)A blue Mini at the tunnel, seen down the track. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)A train on the helix, July 29, 2022. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)Over the top of the helix. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)Diving off the helix. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
August 2006
Two The Italian Job: Stunt Track Mini Cooper cars bursting out of the tunnel billboard at Kings Island, August 2006. Photo: ThrillZing (all rights reserved; the artwork shown belongs to its owner)A Queen City Stunt Coaster train of Mini Cooper cars leading out of the Italian Job: Stunt Track tunnel at Kings Island, August 2006. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track’s layout and stunt set seen from the Eiffel Tower with Vortex behind at Kings Island, August 2006. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)A blue Mini Cooper train emerging from the Italian Job: Stunt Track billboard tunnel at Kings Island, August 11, 2006. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track station and billboard seen through the trees at Kings Island, August 11, 2006. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track set from the Eiffel Tower with The Racer and Vortex beyond at Kings Island, August 11, 2006. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track station and layout from the Eiffel Tower with The Racer and Vortex behind at Kings Island, August 11, 2006. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track layout with its helicopter, shipping containers and parking-garage set seen from the Eiffel Tower at Kings Island. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
July 2005
The Italian Job: Stunt Track parking-garage set with the Eiffel Tower behind at Paramount’s Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)Red and blue Mini Cooper cars waiting in the Italian Job: Stunt Track parking-garage set at Paramount’s Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track parking-garage set from the path at Paramount’s Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track tunnel billboard at Kings Island, July 30, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (all rights reserved; the artwork shown belongs to its owner)The Italian Job: Stunt Track parking-garage lift structure with the Eiffel Tower behind at Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)A blue Mini Cooper train bursting out of the Italian Job: Stunt Track billboard tunnel at Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (all rights reserved; the artwork shown belongs to its owner)An Italian Job: Stunt Track train cresting the hill past the Los Angeles freeway signs at Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)A Queen City Stunt Coaster train diving between the helicopter and shipping containers at Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)An Italian Job: Stunt Track train on the low track through the gravel at Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)A blue Mini Cooper train waiting in the Italian Job: Stunt Track station at Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The blue and red Mini Cooper cars of an Italian Job: Stunt Track train at Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track’s track and Los Angeles road signs beside the parking-garage set at Kings Island, July 31, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track helicopter and track over the shipping containers at dusk at Kings Island, July 30, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track’s track dropping into the splash pool beneath the queue bridge at Kings Island, July 30, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)A Mini Cooper train dropping toward the splash pool beneath the queue bridge on The Italian Job: Stunt Track at Kings Island, July 30, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)Mini Cooper trains bursting through the Italian Job: Stunt Track billboard at Kings Island, July 30, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track’s curved track over the gravel beside the You Will Get Wet! sign at Kings Island, July 30, 2005. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)The Italian Job: Stunt Track parking-garage set with the track behind at Kings Island. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
🎢 Park Day Gear
HandFan Turbo Misting Fan A fan and a mist in one, rechargeable. Very popular in queue lines once the afternoon sun hits.
K'NEX Roller Coaster STEM Set Build a working coaster on the kitchen table and learn why the first drop has to be the tallest. A good gift for young coaster fans.
Is Backlot Stunt Coaster still open at Kings Island?
The physical ride is still operating, but it was renamed Queen City Stunt Coaster starting in the 2025 season, replacing the Backlot name used from 2008 to 2024.
What was Backlot Stunt Coaster themed to before its name change?
It opened in 2005 as Italian Job: Stunt Track, themed to the car-chase finale of the 2003 film The Italian Job, before Cedar Fair rebranded it as Backlot Stunt Coaster in 2008.
How fast did Backlot Stunt Coaster go?
Its LIM launch system accelerated trains from 0 to 40 mph in about three seconds, the coaster’s top speed.
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