The Illuminerdi can exclusively reveal new details and casting developments for Haunted Mansion, as well as which roles Disney is interested in Tiffany Haddish and Lakeith Stanfield for.
Disney is developing a number of new projects based on popular attractions from their theme parks. Disney’s new film, Jungle Cruise, is the perfect example, based on the classic attraction set to be released in theaters and on Disney Plus with Premier Access Friday July 30. The most successful example of course being the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise which has earned more than $4.5 billion worldwide.
In 2020 it was announced that a new Haunted Mansion film was in development with writer Katie Dippold attached to write the script. In April it was reported by Deadline that Disney was in negotiations with director Justin Simien to helm the new film. While so far story details have been kept under wraps, we at The Illuminerdi have been doing some digging and are excited to reveal details about what fans can expect from this new Haunted Mansion. The Illuminerdi can exclusively reveal the storyline for the upcoming Haunted Mansion film and new character descriptions.
NEW STORY DETAILS AND CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS FOR HAUNTED MANSION FILM
Gabbie, a single mother, and her young son recently purchased a New Orleans estate at auction only to discover it isn’t quite as empty as they expected. Gabbie hires a grieving widower who works as a ghost tour guide, a psychic, a priest, and a local historian to exorcise the vengeful spirit from the Haunted Mansion.
Harriet is one of the leads and described as a hapless psychic who is hired to speak with the spirits at the Haunted Mansion. Haunted Mansion is interested in Tiffany Haddish for this role and she seems like the perfect fit as this will undoubtedly give Haddish a chance to show off her comedy skills should she take the role.
Ben Matthias is one of the leads and is described as scruffy and unkempt. Ben was once an engineer working on a camera that could perceive paranormal activity, but after the death of his wife, his life fell to pieces. Now he’s an unenthusiastic ghost tour guide in the French Quarter of New Orleans who no longer believes in the paranormal.
Haunted Mansion has also shown interest in Lakeith Stanfield for this role, however it’s unknown if Stanfield has been approached or if he has shown mutual interest. Fans may know Stanfield for his roles in Knives Out and Judas And The Black Messiah, should he take the role as Ben Matthias he would not only get the chance to likely show off some comedy chops, but the complexities of a recent widower whose life crumbled after the loss of his wife who must also wrestle with the reality of ghosts.
It looks like the film will be centered around original characters, but there are plenty of chances to incorporate the long standing lore from the beloved attraction into the story. It will be exciting for Disney fans to see how the ride is incorporated into this new film and how the story expands beyond the attraction. Disney is leaning heavily into expanding their classic rides into fully fledged properties through film and television. The newest, Jungle Cruise is set to hit theaters and Disney Plus with Premier Access this Friday, July 30.
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Collider previously reported that Scarlett Johansson will produce and star in a new Tower of Terror film based on the Disney attraction. Pirates of the Caribbean is the most successful example of building a franchise around a Disney attraction with 5 films that have earned over $4.5 billion worldwide.
There are currently two different Pirates Of The Caribbean films in development, one from Ted Elliot, who co-wrote the first four films, and Craig Mazin and the other will star Margot Robbie with Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson taking on the script. On the streaming side Battlestar Galactica creator Ron Moore is creating a Magic Kingdom universe for Disney Plus with the first project already announced, The Society of Explorers and Adventurers.
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The new Haunted Mansion film is written by Katie Dippold (Parks & Recreation, Ghostbusters) and will be directed by Justin Simien (Dear White People, Bad Hair). Justin Simien is no stranger to Disney having already signed on to serve as creator, executive producer, and writer on the highly anticipated Lando Disney Plus Star Wars series. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirish who produced the 2019 live-action Aladdin, which grossed over $1 billion, will produce the new Haunted Mansion film through their Rideback production company. The film is scheduled to begin production this October in Atlanta, GA.
Are you excited for a new Haunted Mansion film? What do you think about the story the new film will be telling? Would you like to see Tiffany Haddish and Lakeith Stanfield in the film? Who else would you like to see in Haunted Mansion? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more Haunted Mansion and Disney news.
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