Directed by: Justin Simien
Starring: Rosario Dawson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, LaKeith Stanfield, Winona Ryder, Dan Levy
Opening on: July 28, 2023 (formerly August 11, 2023)
Disney’s first attempt at a feature film adaptation of their Haunted Mansion theme park ride was something of a notorious flop, but that was 20 years ago, so why not try again? This time around, the story centers on a single mother (Rosario Dawson) who moves into the titular mansion with her son, then enlists the help of a priest, a paranormal investigator, a psychic, and a history professor to cleanse their new home of evil spirits.
Haunted Mansion Trailer
What Is the Plot of Haunted Mansion?
Plot details are pretty thin and the trailer didn’t do much to elaborate further on the general plot, but an official synopsis shed a bit more light on the film’s story:
“A single mom named Gabbie hires a tour guide, a psychic, a priest, and a historian to help exorcise their newly bought mansion; after discovering it is inhabited by ghosts.”
We already know that Gabbie will be played by Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka), LaKeith Stanfield’s (Sorry to Bother You) Ben will be the tour guide and Owen Wilson’s (Loki) Kent will be the priest, and we assume that Tiffany Haddish’s Harriet is the psychic and Danny DeVito’s unnamed professor is the historian.
As for the ghosts who are set to appear, we do know that the Hatbox Ghost will almost certainly be appearing. An infamous part of the attraction that only returned to the ride somewhat recently, Hatbox Ghost was heavily implied at the event to be played by Jared Leto (Morbius). We also know that the Bride will also be a part of the film, and she is a character that has quite the backstory. Most of the “happy haunts” in the Haunted Mansion are just that; happy. They might give people a good scare sometimes, but overall they’re not malicious or cruel…except the Bride. Originally named Constance Hatchaway, it’s heavily insinuated that she killed her husband (or husbands) and now stalks the mansion looking for her next victim. Both these infamous ghosts would be excellent choices for the main villain.
