Haunted Mansion is a supernatural horror comedy film from 2023, directed by Justin Simien and featuring a screenplay by Katie Dippold. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Rideback, this film serves as the second adaptation of Disneyland’s iconic attraction, following the first one released in 2003. Haunted Mansion garnered mixed reviews from critics and earned $118 million globally, marking it as a Box Office disappointment and resulting in an estimated loss of $117 million for Disney. Critics pointed out the film’s excessive reliance on product placement.
The story revolves around a widow and her son (played by Dawson and Chase W. Dillon) who seek help from an astrophysicist-turned-tour guide (Stanfield), a struggling psychic (Haddish), a con artist masquerading as a priest (Wilson), and a college historian (DeVito) to rid their new home of its ghostly residents.
The journey to reboot the Haunted Mansion began in July 2010 when Guillermo del Toro expressed his intention to write and produce the film, envisioning it in a heightened reality rather than a traditional setting. However, by July 2013, del Toro stepped down as director.
After enduring years of development challenges, Disney officially announced the project in August 2020, with Dippold brought on to pen a new screenplay. By April 2021, Simien was in negotiations to direct, and his position was confirmed three months later. The main cast was revealed between July and October, with additional actors announced the following year.
Filming took place from mid-October 2021 to late-February 2022, with a budget of $150 million. Haunted Mansion had it’s premiere at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on July 15, 2023, and was released in the U.S. on July 28 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
