‘Haunted Mansion’ Update Director Justin Simien Avoided The Eddie Murphy Version: “I Didn’t Want To Repeat Any Of It”

Bruce Haring
·1 min read
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Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien is trying to please two constituencies: the fans of the Disney theme park attraction, and those who remember the Eddie Murphy and director Rob Minkoff film adaptation.

Simien told EW he did a forensic examination of the Murphy film.

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“I had a little bit of beef with the first film, because the first thing you’ve got to give the kids is the candy of the mansion that they know and love,” Simien said.

“Not to dunk on the movie. It’s a movie of its time, and it’s also a movie that, frankly, a lot of people grew up with and love hardcore. In theaters, I was a little too old for it, but what I appreciated was Rob Minkoff. He’s a genius. And I appreciated the elevation that they were going for. They had this beautiful book of all the production design, and I spent a lot of time walking through what their intentions were. I think a lot of that was interesting, but I also didn’t want to repeat any of it.”

Instead, Simien opted to create something totally different, albeit without disturbing fans of the Murphy film.

Simien’s Haunted Mansion star Rosario Dawson, a single mother brings in a team of paranormal specialists (LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilon, Tiffany Haddish) to contain the ghosts in her New Orleans home. Once again, characters from the ride make cameos, with Jamie Lee Curtis portraying Madame Leota and Jared Lto as the Hatbox Ghost.

Simien’s Haunted Mansion arrives in theaters July 28.

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