‘Haunted Mansion’: Director Justin Simien Teases Cameos From Winona Ryder, Hasan Minhaj, Dan Levy; Unveils First Trailer for Live-Action Disney Film

Tom Tapp and Matt Grobar
·3 min read
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Director Justin Simien and Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis stopped by D23 today to tease their upcoming live-action Haunted Mansion film, sharing that it will feature cameos from Winona Ryder, Dan Levy, Hasan Minhaj and more.

Simien also debuted a new for-the-room-only trailer which watches as a car pulls up to a mansion in the depths of night. The mansion, our narrator says, was discovered fully built after a fire in 1788. “That’s when things started to get weird,” he continues, “[with] a string of dramatic events, paranormal attacks, yellow fever, explosions. There’s no records, only stories.”

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We then follow a character played by Tiffany Haddish and a priest portrayed by Owen Wilson as they explore hidden areas of the darkly historic house with a group of kids, finding, behind a painting, a room that had “not been touched in centuries.”

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The trailer also introduces us to a tour guide played by Lakeith Stanfield, with further flashes to characters played by Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito and more.

Curtis appeared toward the end of the D23 segment, whisking Simien away in a car from Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride, without saying so much as a word. Prior to that, the filmmaker had addressed why he’d decided to take the project on. “For me, there was something about that ride I felt was there in the script,” he said. “It was funny and full of interesting characters, but with a dark edge to it. I just related to it. It felt I knew how to make it. I love New Orleans and I felt I had a responsibility here to make sure all the little easter eggs are there.”

Simien also early on spoke to his personal connection to Disneyland, as well as its Haunted Mansion attraction. “I actually used to work at Disneyland,” he said, showcasing a photo of his employee ID. “I actually used to have hair, and it was the best summer job I ever had. And anytime I wasn’t working on the ride I was supposed to, I’d ride Pirates and my favorite ride, Haunted Mansion.”

While Haunted Mansion had previously been set to open in theaters on March 10, 2023, today’s trailer simply teased a 2023 debut. Simien directed from a script by Katie Dippold.

The Haunted Mansion ride debuted in 1969 and has been a favorite of park goers ever since, appearing currently in both Disneyland and Disney World. The premise sees theme park guests go inside a spooky and creepy manor that includes some classic characters, from the spirit of psychic medium Madame Leota to the skeletal Bride and the cloaked Hatbox Ghost.

Disney previously adapted the ride into a 2003 movie directed by Rob Minkoff and starring Eddie Murphy, which was a moderate success at the box-office. Similar to Pirates of the Caribbean, another theme park ride that became a massive box-office smash, execs have always seen this as a piece of Disney IP that is recognizable to so many people across the world, but also makes for something that can be easier to adapt as a movie compared to other theme park rides.

This year’s D23 confab, celebrating all things Disney, runs at the Anaheim Convention Center through Sunday, September 11th.

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