Disney Brings Back Haunted Mansion with a New Adaptation
Disney is set to release a new adaptation of its 2003 classic Haunted Mansion, which is based on the attraction of the same name in the Disneyland theme park. The movie is scheduled for release on July 28, 2023, and boasts of a star-studded cast, including Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Jared Leto, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
New Storyline
The new version tells the story of Gabbie, a single mother who moves into a mansion in New Orleans with her nine-year-old son. They are unaware that the mansion is haunted, prompting Gabbie to seek help from a psychic, a priest, a historian, and a tour guide to exorcise the mansion.
Notable Cast
Rosario Dawson plays Gabbie, while Chase Dillon plays her son. Owen Wilson is cast as the priest Kent, while LaKeith is the tourist. Tiffany Hadish plays the psychic, and Danny DeVito is the historian. Jared Leto takes on the role of the Hat-Box Ghost, and Jamie Lee Curtis plays Madame Leota.
High Expectations
This year’s The Haunted Mansion has created high expectations since its first release plans were announced in 2010. The movie promises to be a promising project that will receive good reviews and be a box office success. In contrast, the 2003 version was heavily criticized for its lack of horror, botched comedy, long boring minutes, nonsensical script, and for being “a lifeless, spiritless affair,” according to comments on Rotten Tomatoes.
Guillermo del Toro’s Plans
Although the realization of the 2023 version is recent, in 2010 an adaptation for Disney Pictures was in development with Guillermo del Toro as a screenwriter and producer. At the time, the Mexican filmmaker revealed that he had plans to take the story to an augmented reality setting and not in the real world like the original 2003 film.
Del Toro even considered Hatbox as the main character, promising that it would be more scary than fun. Plans to carry Guillermo’s film ended in 2015, when Disney hired DV DeVincentis to rewrite the script that Del Toro first submitted, leaving Del Toro as co-writer and executive producer.
Final Thoughts
From the time Guillermo del Toro’s collaboration with Disney was planned to this point, it took 13 years for the new adaptation to hit the big screen. However, with the new cast and storyline, this adaptation promises to be a movie worth watching. Fans of the original Haunted Mansion attraction and the 2003 movie should brace themselves for an unforgettable experience.
