Home is where the haunt is! Disney’s Haunted Mansion remake is going to be the spookiest movie of 2023. The first trailer released March 2 features Rosario Dawson as Gabbie, a single mom to a 9-year-old son, who discovers that the New Orleans mansion she just bought is haunted. So, Gabbie seeks help from professionals including a priest, played by Owen Wilson, a psychic, played by Tiffany Haddish, a tour guide, played by Lakeith Stanfield, and a historian, played by Danny DeVito, to perform an exorcism on the mansion.
“This mansion is unhinged,” Owen says in the trailer. The footage reveals a few glimpses of the ghosts, including Jamie Lee Curtis. Danny warns that “death lurks around every corner.”
The upcoming film is based on Disney’s popular theme park ride that debuted in 1969 and is in both Disneyland and Disney World. The movie also stars Chase W. Dillon, Dan Levy, and Jared Leto as The Hatbox Ghost. Haunted Mansion comes out on July 28, 2023, two decades after the release of the first film that starred Eddie Murphy. Eddie played a realtor who becomes trapped in the haunted mansion.
“As a lifelong fan of the Haunted Mansion attraction, I’m beyond excited to share the teaser trailer for our new film adaptation featuring an incredible cast,” director Justin Simien said in a statement. “Our team has worked tirelessly to create a scary, funny, and cinematic otherworldly adventure for both new and die-hard fans to enjoy! I can’t wait for audiences to experience this big screen version of the iconic Disney attraction.”
At the D23 Expo in Sept. 2022, Justin revealed some of the cast members in his remake. He also talked about how he subtly incorporates the rollercoaster into the film.
“There was something about that ride that I felt was there in the script. I wanted to be sure all the Easter Eggs are there because I’m a nerd,” he said, according to Variety. Justin also revealed that he used to work at Disneyland and that Haunted Mansion was his favorite ride. The trailer for the 2023 film was revealed to the audience at the D23 expo, though it was not released online — until now.