Hot on the heels of Jungle Cruise, set to sail into theaters this weekend, Disney plans to revamp another of its rides with a Haunted Mansion movie in the pipeline.
Dear White People helmer Justin Simien is in line to direct the movie based on the hugely popular Disney attraction with The Heat scribe Katie Dippold on scripting duties. Sorry To Bother You's Lakeith Stanfield is in talks to play a tour guide with Tuca and Bertie's Tiffany Haddish tipped to play a medium.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the movie will revolve around a family who moves into the mansion. Stanfield's character is "a widower who once believed in the supernatural but is now a rather lifeless tour guide in New Orleans’ French Quarter." Haddish, meanwhile, is being eyed to play "a psychic hired to commune with the dead."
Stanfield and Haddish playing off each other as a psychic and a non-believer? This story sounds ripe for plenty of comedic hijinks which is exactly what you'd expect from a Disney movie about a haunted house. Not much else is revealed about the tone or approach, but we'd wager it will land a PG rating.
Debuting in 1969, the theme park ride is a family-friendly ghost train guiding guests through a spooky manor and is present at both Disney Land and Disney World. This is the second time Disney's turned to the ride for big-screen inspiration following 2003's The Haunted Mansion which starred Eddie Murphy as a realtor who is drawn to the house and brings his family along with him. Critics weren't fans – our reviewer dubbed it "dead on arrival" but audiences flocked to see it, racking up $182 million worldwide. The new movie won't tie into this earlier film.
Disney continues to turn to its theme park mainstays for adaptation inspiration. Following Jungle Cruise and The Haunted Mansion, the studio is developing a Tower of Terror feature starring Scarlett Johansson based on the infamous tower drop ride.
Ahead of The Haunted Mansion's release there's plenty of shows and movies to enjoy on Disney Plus. Not sure where to start? Check our list of the best shows on Disney Plus to find your next favorite movie or series.
