First Look at Upcoming ‘Haunted Mansion’ Film Starring Jamie Lee Curtis

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney’s Haunted Mansion (2023) will bring the spooks and scares you know and love from The Haunted Mansion at the Disney Parks to your hometown!

Jamie Lee Curtis stars Madam Leota alongside Jared Leto, confirmed at D23 Expo last night to portray The Hatbox Ghost! D23 attendees got a new-for-the-room only look at a trailer for the film, described by Deadline:

“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.’ 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.’ 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.”

Jamie Lee Curtis

Cameos from Winona Ryder, Dan Levy, Hasan Minaj, and more were also announced.

Curtis appeared at D23 in a Doombuggy from The Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park, silently whisking away director Justin Simien:

Simien shared a photo of his old Cast Member ID from Disneyland, where he loved to ride The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Disneyland attraction has officially closed For update!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

There may not be a more legendary ride in all of the Disney Parks than the Haunted Mansion. Here, Guests can take a seat in a gloomy Doom Buggy for a spooky tour through a house of happy haunts.

However, as many may already know, the attraction shuts down throughout the year to make way for some exciting seasonal updates.

Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park

Disneyland officially closed the ride today to make way for its annual holiday overlay featuring characters and scenery from Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

Disney states that the Haunted Mansion will be closed from August 15 to September 1, 2022. According to Disney, the attraction will reopen on September 2, 2022, as Haunted Mansion Holiday, but only for a limited time, of course.

haunted mansion wait time

Legendary actress to play Madame Leota in Disney’s new “Haunted Mansion” film

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney’s all about the sequels and remakes, and even if fans don’t approve of remaking Walt Disney’s classic feature-length animated films, many can go along with an upgrade to Disney’s 2003 Haunted Mansion starring Eddie Murphy.

To that end, the House of Mouse has in the works a new version of the spooky film inspired by the Disney Parks “doom buggy” attraction, and it’s set for a theatrical release on March 10, 2023. The new film will star some well-known actors, not the least of whom was just announced over the weekend.

According to One Take News, the part of Madame Leota has finally been cast in the new Haunted Mansion film, and the actress who will portray the famous Haunted Mansion medium is not new to the idea of spooky and eerie movies.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis got her Hollywood start in 1978 when she starred in the horror film Halloween, and now she’s been cast as Madame Leota in Disney’s Haunted Mansion. What first sounded like a possible rumor about the actress has now been confirmed on her Instagram account.

Justin Simien is directing the new live-action film that was originally inspired by one of the most popular attractions at Disney World and Disneyland Resort–the Haunted Mansion, which is reportedly home to 999 happy haunts. (But there’s always room for one more; any volunteers?)

Curtis joins a star-studded cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, and Danny DeVito.

The exciting new Haunted Mansion film features a different storyline than its predecessor, according to Disney:

“In this mysterious adventure, a doctor (Dawson) and her 9-year-old son (Chase Dillon), looking to start a new life, move into a strangely affordable mansion in New Orleans, only to discover that the place is much more than they bargained for. Desperate for help, they contact a priest (Wilson), who, in turn, enlists the aid of a widowed scientist-turned failed-paranormal expert (Stanfield), a French Quarter psychic (Haddish) and a crotchety historian (DeVito).”

Owen wilson as a priest Disney's Haunted Mansion

Recently, Disney announced that Jared Leto will play the role of the Hatbox Ghost in the new film, and Katie Dippold is writing the script for the new Haunted Mansion flick from Disney.

A New Haunted Mansion LEGO Set Just Released

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

It’s safe to say that one of the most iconic Disney attractions is The Haunted Mansion. The ride was a passion project of Walt’s and a version of the haunted house exists at Disneyland and Disney World, where it is called The Haunted Mansion. There is also Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris and Mystic Manor at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Guests just can’t get enough of the happy haunts who live in the mansions, and who doesn’t love to hum “Grim Grinning Ghosts” while they attend a swinging wake?

The Haunted Mansion is so popular that Disney has teamed up with LEGO several times to create a unique LEGO set. Most recently, LEGO created a replica of the Haunted Mansion that can be found in New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park. The set is designed to look just like the southern manor, complete with columns in the front. When you turn the house around, the wake scene is featured. The set even comes with its very own Ghost Host!

Haunted Mansion Lego

The set went on sale on the LEGO site on August 1, but if you were hoping to purchase one for yourself, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. The Haunted Mansion LEGO set is currently sold out. Yes, the set was so popular that it sold out in just about 24 hours. However, that does not mean it is gone forever. If you visit the LEGO website, you can ask that LEGO notify you when the item is back in stock. This Haunted Mansion mini set is so popular, that it is possible LEGO is working on getting more out as fast as possible.

LEGO Haunted Mansion

Here is LEGO’s description of the new Haunted Mansion set:

Fans of Disney’s The Haunted Mansion ride will love all the scary-good details in this miniature build-and-display model. Part of the interior is viewable from the back, including the dining room, a chandelier and a gallery. The set includes an exclusive Butler minifigure to add to the display. Fans will recognize paintings of the Hitchhiking Ghosts, Madame Leota and the Gravekeeper. This buildable set makes a perfect gift for miniature collectors and Disney fans of all ages.

  • Collectible construction set – Features a miniature display model of Disney’s The Haunted Mansion ride, complete with an exclusive Butler minifigure
  • Give as a gift – A gift for LEGO® fans, miniature collectors and Disney fans aged 8 and up
  • Display piece – Standing over 5 in. (14 cm) high, 4 in. (12 cm) wide and 4 in. (12 cm) deep, this 680-piece model features details including a chandelier and sticker paintings for the gallery
Haunted Mansion Lego

Again, if you would like to be notified if and when the Haunted Mansion set is back in stock, you can click here or visit the LEGO site. While on the site, you can also see all the other great Disney sets they have available!

Jared Leto Cast As Hatbox Ghost in Disney’s New ‘Haunted Mansion’ Film

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

As we get closer to the spookiest time of the year, we are getting more and more information on Disney’s newest film based on a classic attraction, The Haunted Mansion. Disney had made a live-action version of the ride back in 2003, starring Eddie Murphy, but the movie was a major flop. It is currently sitting at 13% on the Tomato Meter and has an audience score of 30% on the ratings website Rotten Tomatoes. Disney is going all out with this new version of the film though, casting major names like Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, and Tiffany Haddish.

Now, we have even more big casting news. According to One Take News, Disney has cast Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto to pay the iconic Hatbox Ghost. The Hatbox Ghost originally debuted with the opening of The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park in 1969, but he was quickly removed. For decades, the Hatbox Ghost had vanished, but made a reappearance in 2015 and is now a permanent fixture on the ride.

Hatbox Ghost Haunted Mansion

Here is more on the casting decision and what we might expect from Leto’s version of the Hatbox Ghost:

Sources have told OTN that the Hatbox Ghost’s design is going to look quite similar to the one on the Haunted Mansion ride. We’ve also heard that Jared Leto’s face will be seen on renaissance-era paintings throughout the mansion. While unconfirmed, we’ve heard that his face will only be on the paintings and only his voice will come out of the Hatbox Ghost, a character that appeared to be CG. We were told the voice for his character was not his normal one and it was going to be more deep with some high pitched cackles.

If you have not been following along with all of The Haunted Mansion movie news, here is a brief synopsis of the film — which recently filmed in New Orleans — courtesy of Collider:

The film will tell the story of a doctor, played by Rosario Dawson, and her nine-year-old son, who are looking to start a new life. When they find an eerily affordable mansion in New Orleans, they jump at the chance to change their lives. Little do they know that the house is already harboring some unexpected residents. When they discover that the mansion is haunted, they contact a priest, played by Owen Wilson, who then, in turn, seeks the help of a scientist and floundering paranormal expert, played by LaKeith Stanfield, and a French Quarter psychic, played by Tiffany Haddish, and a grumpy historian, played by Danny DeVito.

Beyond embellishing the familiar and frightening characters of The Haunted Mansion ride, the film will also explore the rich culture of New Orleans, in which the California Disneyland is based. The film will feature characters both new and old, employing some of the most in-demand talents in filmmaking today. The film is directed by Justin Simien, who previously directed Dear White People. The screenplay was written by Kate Dippold.

Disney’s The Haunted Mansion is slated to be released in theaters on March 10, 2023. No word yet on when it will be released on Disney’s streaming service, Disney+. Even though the original live-action Haunted Mansion film was a flop, Disney found a lot of success with its hilarious Muppets Haunted Mansion, which came out last Halloween season.