“Death Lurks Around Every Corner” In Disney’s New Star-Studded ‘Haunted Mansion’ Adaptation
The ghosts are back, and they’re spookier than ever.
Twenty years after Eddie Murphy headlined Disney’s Haunted Mansion, a movie based on one of Disneyland’s most popular attractions, a new adaptation is headed for theaters.
This time the cast includes Disney franchise-favorite Rosario Dawson, along with a cavalcade of A-list co-stars like LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Tiffany Haddish, Dan Levy, Hasan Minhaj, Winona Ryder, Jared Leto and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Dawson plays Gabbie, a single mom who unknowingly moves into a suspiciously cheap (and unsurprisingly) ghost-ridden mansion in New Orleans with her 9-year-old son (Chase Dillon). She calls in a team of experts to help her exorcise her new home, including a paranormal expert (Stanfield), a psychic (Haddish), a priest (Wilson) and a historian (DeVito).
Leto and Curtis each play characters from the attraction: the Hatbox Ghost and Madame Leota, respectively.
The film was directed by Justin Simien, best known for helming the 2014 film Dear White People, which was later adapted into the Netflix series of the same name. Simien has a personal connection to the attraction, as he was once a Disneyland employee.
“I used to work here! I actually worked at Disneyland, y’all,” Simien told the crowd during D23. “It was the best summer job I ever had. I used to ride the Haunted Mansion on breaks.”
He used his insider info to add a few winks to the ride and the park within the film, saying: “There was something about that ride that I felt was there in the script. I wanted to be sure all the Easter eggs are there because I’m a nerd.”
Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich produced the film and Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman are executive producers.
“As a lifelong fan of the Haunted Mansion attraction, I’m beyond excited to share the teaser trailer for our new film adaptation featuring an incredible cast. Our team has worked tirelessly to create a scary, funny and cinematic otherworldly adventure for both new and die-hard fans to enjoy! I can’t wait for audiences to experience this big screen version of the iconic Disney attraction,” Simien said in a statement.
The original Haunted Mansion attraction first opened in 1969 to instant popularity. The “dark ride” has guests explore a haunted house area in “Doom Buggies,” while being spooked by a variety of macabre animatronics.
The film should start haunting theaters on July 28th, 2023.