Jared Leto and Jamie Lee Curtis are reportedly along for the ride in Disney’s upcoming film, Haunted Mansion. The classic Disney attraction operates in numerous theme parks around the globe, including Florida, California, and overseas in France and Japan. Previous attempts at a Haunted Mansion movie include Eddie Murphy’s 2003 feature film of the same name and Disney+’s 2021 special, The Muppets: Haunted Mansion.
An impressive list of Hollywood A-listers has already signed on for Haunted Mansion, including Rosario Dawson, Chase Dillon, Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield, Danny DeVito, and Owen Wilson. Story details reveal that Haunted Mansion will follow single mother Rebecca (Dawson) and her son (Dillon), who, looking to start fresh, move to a new home in New Orleans. To Rebecca’s shock, the house is haunted, and she must enlist the help of an unhinged priest (Wilson), a scientist-turned-ghostbuster (Stanfield), and a psychic from the French Quarter (Haddish) to help rid the house of spirits. Haunted Mansion will be directed by filmmaker Justin Simien. Now, two new stars are joining the cast.
One Take News initially reported that Leto and Curtis have signed onto Haunted Mansion, which was then verified by EW. According to OTN’s scoop, Leto will reportedly play the ride’s infamous “Hatbox Ghost” who was removed from the ride in the late 1960s and eventually returned in 2015 (and was thus missing from Eddie Murphy’s 2003 movie), and Curtis is reportedly set to play Madame Leota, the psychic medium played by Jennifer Tilly in 2003, who appears as a head inside a crystal ball.
Leto and Curtis are no strangers to the horror genre. Curtis plays Laurie Strode in the Halloween franchise, and Leto recently starred in the horror-tinged comic book film Morbius. The Haunted Mansion ride features some pretty iconic ghosts, and based on their previous acting credits, it’s not hard to imagine Leto and Curtis appearing as such. However, it’s safe to assume the new Haunted Mansion will be targeted more towards children and families, considering it’s a Disney movie, and that’s the path previous adaptations have taken. Additionally, the inclusions of comedian Haddish and funny guys Wilson and DeVito signal the film will be more hilarious than scary. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t come with its fair share of scares, as the first film did.
Although an all-star cast is a sure-fire way to attract audiences, Haunted Mansion will need a little edge to stick out from the previous adaptations. Murphy’s Haunted Mansion disappointed not only at the box office but among critics, and it’s obvious Disney does not want a repeat of that misstep. However, these early developments sound very promising. Only time will tell if Haunted Mansion can live up to its famous name, but with Leto, Curtis, and more on board, it seems very possible that it will.
Source: One Take News & EW