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Disney has a Haunted Mansion movie in the works, and that's just boo-tiful
Looks like Disney's The Haunted Mansion is up for some "home renovation" — at least on film!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has hired Katie Dippold, the scribe behind the all-female Ghostbusters reboot, to write a script for a live-action movie based on the popular Disneyworld attraction. The ride, which first debuted in 1969, sees guests travel through the eponymous manor, encountering a range of spooky (and supernatural) characters, including the fan-favorite (but no less creepy) Hatbox Ghost, and the ghoulish Constance Hatchaway, aka the Black Widow Bride.
This isn't the first time Disney has attempted to turn one of its popular rides into the basis of a movie, having already done so with The Tower of Terror and Mission to Mars, though nothing has achieved the massive success of Pirates of the Caribbean, which has since spawned several sequels — including one that will star Margot Robbie (Birds of Prey) — and earned the company more than a billion dollars worldwide.
However, Disney's previous attempt to turn the Haunted Mansion into a film was met with less resounding success, with the Eddie Murphy-starring horror comedy being panned by critics back in 2003. Following that, the studio even tried to recruit horror maestro Guillermo del Toro (Antlers) to work on the adaptation, with the Pinocchio director co-writing and producing the project. (No word on whether he's still involved, though Dippold's hiring suggests not.) Disney even briefly went down the animation route, trying to develop a cartoon adaptation of it.
Of course, there's another theme-park-ride-based movie on the horizon as well, with Disney still set to release the Dwayne the "Rock" Johnson (Black Adam) and Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place Part II) starring Jungle Cruise on July 30, 2021.
Rideback, the banner behind Disney's Aladdin, will produce the movie.
Dippold was a writer on Parks and Recreation before going on to write The Heat, starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, and 2016's Ghostbusters, followed by the comedy Snatched. Savvy internet users may recognize the writer from her lightly memed viral tweet (below) that celebrated her love and commitment to all things spooky.
So far no release date has been announced for the project.
