The Haunted Mansion is one of Disney’s most beloved theme park rides. While the previous attempt to turn it into a major motion picture didn’t do well, fans are excitedly hoping the upcoming adaptation will bring everything they love about the ride to life.
So hop into your Doombuggy and learn all you need to know about the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie.
What is The Haunted Mansion about?
The movie will present a new take on the lore and concepts found in the legendary Disney park ride that first opened on August 9th, 1969.
Disney’s official synopsis for the movie reads:
“Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, Haunted Mansion is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.”
Who is in The Haunted Mansion?
The Haunted Mansion has an all-star cast packed full of big names. Currently confirmed to appear in the movie is Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka), Owen Wilson (The French Dispatch, Loki), Lakeith Stanfield (Knives Out, Atlanta), and Tiffany Haddish (Tuca & Bertie). Also confirmed for the main cast is Hollywood legend Danny DeVito.
We also know several big names will portray iconic characters from the original ride. This includes Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween Ends) as Madame Leota, the spiritualist who was played by Leota Toombs in the ride.
Jared Leto (Morbius) will play the Hatbox Ghost, a fan-favorite character who was removed from the ride shortly after it opened due to a planned effect where the figure’s head would vanish and appear in its hatbox not working as intended. Despite this, the character became an urban legend within the Disney parks fandom. Eventually, in 2015, the character was reintroduced to the ride.
Plus, it has been confirmed that Dan Levy and Winona Ryder will appear in the movie in some capacity, but their roles have yet to be confirmed.
Who is writing and directing Haunted Mansion?
The Haunted Mansion has an equally talented behind-the-scenes team. Katie Dippold (Ghostbusters) wrote the movie’s script, and Justin Simien (Dear White People) will be in the director’s chair.
In the press release for the movie, Simien is quoted as saying:
“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.”
Does Haunted Mansion have a trailer?
On March 2nd, 2023, Disney released a trailer for The Haunted Mansion. Watch it here.
When will The Haunted Mansion be released?
Disney has Haunted Mansion scheduled for release on July 28th, 2023. This is interesting because it will release a week after the highly-anticipated Barbie movie. It will also land a week after Christopher Nolan’s much-discussed Oppenheimer hits screens.
