'Terrified' riders left dangling on Movie World ride

The Doomsday Destroyer ride appeared to break down early on Thursday afternoon with a number of people suspended 21m in the air. Photo / 9News

Thrillseekers at Movie World spent a terrifying 3 minutes and 25 seconds dangling midair when a ride malfunctioned at the Gold Coast theme park.

Onlookers filmed patrons left hanging upside-down on the Doomsday Destroyer ride when it became stuck earlier on Thursday.

In a 10-second video recorded at Movie World today, a concerned woman can be heard saying: "These guys are actually stuck up there."

Nine News, which broadcast the footage, reported passengers were "crying and shaken up" while stuck on the ride.

Movie World has confirmed the incident and said the ride had stopped as a result of "ride safety operating systems" automatically engaging.

In a statement sent to news.com.au, Village Roadshow Theme Parks executive general manager Greg Yong said guests on board the ride were safe.

"The guests were safe at all times and the ride continued after 3 minutes and 25 seconds, with the guests exiting the ride as normal," he said.

"We are very sorry for any inconvenience or discomfort cause to our guests, however ride safety is our first priority."