Having parted ways with The Hobbit , he’s now writing and producing a film for Disney
Guillermo del Toro surprised 6,500 fans gathered today at the San Diego Comic-Con with the announcement that he is developing a new film for Disney based on the classic Disney theme park attraction, The Haunted Mansion .
This is not, of course, the first attempt to make a Pirates Of The Caribbean -style success out of the attraction. Eddie Murphy starred in a big screen Haunted Mansion movie in 2003, which was directed by Rob ( Stuart Little ) Minkoff, though strangely Disney made no mention of that in the announcement. Probably because it was RUBBISH.
“Dark imagery is an integral part of the Walt Disney legacy,” reckons del Toro. “After all, Disney himself was the father of some really chilling moments and characters – think Chernabog from Fantasia or Maleficent as the Dragon or the Evil Queen in Snow White . I couldn't be more excited to be a part of my own adaptation of the original theme park attraction Walt envisioned and that remains – for me – the most desirable piece of real estate in the whole world!”
Since August 1969, foolish mortals have dared to trespass on the macabre grounds of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. A hallowed landmark in Disneyland’s New Orleans square, it’s the dwelling place of 999 happy haunts dying to meet new visitors each day. The plantation-style of the mansion’s facade is a sweet deception for visitors. Inside, ghostly doom buggies line the hallways. Since its construction, the mysteries of the mansion have transcended the attraction with stories surfacing about horrifying encounters with the supernatural. Versions of the attraction have been built at other Disney theme parks in Orlando, Tokyo and Paris.
