Disney’s Haunted Mansion is now playing in theaters, and oh man, this is a fiercely loyal adaptation of the iconic ride. Director Justin Simien was so concerned with doing the mansion justice that after visiting the film’s set, Imagineers were inspired by the new movie to bring parts of it over to the attraction. Obviously on the filmmaker's end, this would involve a ton of research, and it turns out Disney aided in Simien’s Haunted Mansion education by giving him full access to the ride while it wasn’t operating.
I recently caught up with the director to discuss the new film, and he revealed that he got to live out any Disney Parks fan’s dream:
We rode the ride a few times and we did some tours, but there was this one time when they turned the lights on and we walked through the ride. It was like an hour tour and we saw everything. I saw where the waltzers are and I saw how the thing works. And, you know, there's this huge book, there’s a bible of all of the things that go into the ride. And of course, there's a big history behind the ride. And so that was kind of like the last download I got before we made the movie. And I'm so glad I got it.
How freaking fun would that be? I’ve often thought about what it would be like to explore those rides freely, especially a dark ride like Haunted Mansion where all secrets would be revealed.
It was a good move for Justin Simien to do an in-depth dive into the ride, as Disney fans can be quite passionate, and many die-hards are aware of Haunted Mansion's extensive history. He included a ton of Easter Eggs referencing Disneyland and Walt Disney World (and even tried to include a Frozen nod). It must be difficult to find the right director to enter the Disney live-action universe canon, and Simien definitely earned the gig.
The result is what our own Eric Eisenberg calls a “spooky and fun” ride in his official Haunted Mansion review. Our interviews with the Haunted Mansion cast took place at an actual haunted mansion in New Orleans, and the result is an absolute delight. It even includes Jamie Lee Curtis providing a tearful and beautiful moment while talking about the Disney Parks experience. Between her, Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and Owen Wilson, it’s clear that Disney went all-out with the casting this time around.
While you may not be able to walk the Disney ride, you can go see Haunted Mansion in theaters right now! And really, that’s the next best thing, isn’t it? Unfortunately, there aren’t any immediate streaming options, but fingers crossed it comes to Disney+ sooner than later. If you’re curious about the Disney+ subscription details, we have you covered.
