Haunted Mansion (2023)

6.0PG-13123 min

2023 film by Justin Simien

Haunted Mansion is a 2023 American supernatural horror comedy film directed by Justin Simien from a screenplay by Katie Dippold. It stars LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Rideback, it is the second film adaptation of Disneyland's eponymous attraction, following the initial one from 2003. In the film, a widow and her son (Dawson and Chase W. Dillon, respectively) enlist the aid of an astrophysicist-turned-tour guide (Stanfield), a struggling psychic (Haddish), a con man posing as a trained priest (Wilson) and a college historian (DeVito) to help exorcise the ghostly inhabitants of the titular building that they have recently moved into.

Plans for the reboot adaptation based on the Haunted Mansion began in July 2010, when Guillermo del Toro, who intended to write and produce, stated the project would take place in a heightened reality rather than in a real-world setting. Del Toro was no longer attached as the project's director in July 2013. After years in development hell, Disney officially announced Haunted Mansion in August 2020, with Dippold signed on to write a new screenplay. Simien negotiated to direct the film by April 2021, and was officially confirmed three months later. The primary cast was confirmed from July to October, and additional cast was announced the following year. Principal photography took place from mid-October 2021 to late-February 2022 on a $150 million budget.

Haunted Mansion 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. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $118 million worldwide, becoming a box-office bomb and losing Disney an estimated $117 million. Journalists criticized the film for its repeated use of product placement.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Haunted Mansion about?
Haunted Mansion (2023) — A single mom named Gabbie hires a tour guide, a psychic, a priest and a historian to help exorcise her newly bought mansion after discovering it is inhabited by ghosts.
Is Haunted Mansion based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Haunted Mansion scary?
Content rating: PG-13. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.