Haunted Mansion (2023 film)
A widow and son enlist help to exorcise a haunted mansion.
Haunted Mansion is a 2023 American supernatural horror comedy film. Justin Simien directed it, and Katie Dippold wrote the screenplay. Walt Disney Pictures and Rideback produced the movie. It is the second film adaptation of the Disneyland ride of the same name, following a 2003 version. The story follows a widow and her son who move into a mansion and hire a group—an astrophysicist turned tour guide, a struggling psychic, a con man posing as a priest, and a college historian—to exorcise the ghosts inside. The cast includes LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto.
Plans for a reboot began in July 2010, when Guillermo del Toro said he wanted to write and produce a version set in a heightened reality. He left the director role in July 2013. After years in development, Disney announced the film in August 2020 with Dippold writing a new script. Simien negotiated to direct by April 2021 and was confirmed three months later. The main cast was announced from July to October 2021, with additional cast revealed the following year. Principal photography ran from mid-October 2021 to late-February 2022 on a $150 million budget.
The film premiered at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on July 15, 2023, and was released in the United States on July 28 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Critics gave mixed reviews. It earned $118 million worldwide, making it a box-office bomb that lost Disney an estimated $117 million. Journalists criticized its repeated product placement.
In New Orleans, Ben Matthias, an astrophysicist building a camera to detect dark matter, marries Alyssa, a tour guide for haunted locations. After she dies in a car crash, Ben abandons his career and runs her tour despite not believing in the supernatural. Widowed doctor Gabbie and her son Travis move into abandoned Gracey Manor to turn it into a bed and breakfast, but find it full of ghosts. Father Kent, an exorcist helping Gabbie, hires Ben to photograph the ghosts. Ben finds no evidence but is haunted by a mariner ghost, forcing him back to the mansion. They recruit psychic Harriet and steal blueprints from historian Professor Bruce Davis. The group finds a séance room where Harriet contacts William Gracey’s spirit, who directs them to medium Madame Leota. A malevolent entity forces Harriet and Bruce out.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Justin Simien
- Producer
- Dan Lin / Jonathan Eirich
- Screenplay
- Katie Dippold
- Based On
- The Haunted Mansion · Walt Disney
- Starring
- LaKeith Stanfield / Tiffany Haddish / Owen Wilson / Danny DeVito / Rosario Dawson / Dan Levy / Jamie Lee Curtis / Jared Leto
- Music
- Kris Bowers
- Cinematography
- Jeffrey Waldron
- Editing
- Phillip J. Bartell
- Production Companies
- Walt Disney Pictures / Rideback
- Distributor
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Released
- 15 July 2023 · Disneyland · 2023 · 7 · 28 · United States
- Runtime
- 123 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Plans for a reboot adaptation based on the Haunted Mansion began in July 2010, when Guillermo del Toro intended to write and produce, stating the project would take place in a heightened reality. Del Toro was no longer attached as director by July 2013. After years in development hell, Disney officially announced the film in August 2020 with Dippold writing a new screenplay. Simien negotiated to direct by April 2021 and was confirmed three months later. Principal photography took place from mid-October 2021 to late-February 2022 on a $150 million budget.
The film premiered at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on July 15, 2023, and was released in the United States on July 28 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It grossed $118 million worldwide, losing Disney an estimated $117 million. Journalists criticized the film for its repeated use of product placement.
In the film, a widow and her son enlist the aid of an astrophysicist-turned-tour guide, a struggling psychic, a con man posing as a trained priest, and a college historian to exorcise the ghostly inhabitants of the titular building. The cast includes LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto.
Reader's Guide
Haunted Mansion (2023) represents Disney's second attempt to adapt its popular theme park attraction into a feature film, following a 2003 version. The film's development spanned over a decade, beginning with Guillermo del Toro's involvement in 2010 and eventually shifting to a family-friendly tone under director Justin Simien. Despite a star-studded cast and a $150 million budget, the film underperformed at the box office, grossing $118 million worldwide and resulting in an estimated $117 million loss for Disney. Critics gave mixed reviews, with particular criticism directed at the film's repeated product placement. The film's plot follows a group of characters—including an astrophysicist, a psychic, a con man posing as a priest, and a historian—helping a widow and her son exorcise a haunted mansion in New Orleans. The film pays homage to the original ride, with production designer Darren Gilford noting that the crew had an after-hours tour of the actual Haunted Mansion ride at Walt Disney World and pulled details from the ride for the sets. Jared Leto provided motion capture for the Hatbox Ghost, a character del Toro had earlier indicated would be a main figure. The film's legacy is as a notable but commercially disappointing entry in Disney's live-action adaptations of its intellectual property.
Did You Know?
- The film is the second adaptation of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion attraction, following the 2003 film.
- Guillermo del Toro was originally attached to write and produce the reboot in 2010, but left as director by July 2013.
- Jared Leto performed motion capture for the Hatbox Ghost, whose surname is a tribute to Imagineer Rolly Crump.
- The film lost Disney an estimated $117 million, becoming a box-office bomb.
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