Credit: DisneyDisney has been pulling out all the stops to promote the new Haunted Mansion reboot, including some rather clever promotions like posting the house for sale on Zillow. The film’s cast even showed up to scare (shock) unsuspecting Guests at Disneyland.
Related: Disney’s Haunted Mansion Is Being Sold on Zillow
The first Haunted Mansion film was released back in 2003, though the Eddie Murphy-led feature was not one of the most lucrative ride adaptations that Disney had produced. Though the Pirates of the Caribbean films became massive blockbusters, it appeared that fans were not ready for another ride to be transformed into a full-fledged story.
Eddie Murphy is one of the most beloved comedic actors in the world, but critics were not that convinced by his acting prowess. Despite the film being criticized, it would secure $182 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $90 million. Though $182 million might not sound like a lot, that amount was worth far more ten 20 years ago.
While the Murphy-led venture banked on its comedic relief, Disney has decided to revamp the new Haunted Mansion film with what looks to be more horror-filled elements. There is still plenty of humor laden within the trailers, but it seems as though the PG-13 rating and the first look hint at a film that will bank more on scares.
The story showcases a turbulent house wanting to expel all that inhabit it, and what better way to showcase that than with a cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, and Jamie Lee Curtis?
‘Haunted Mansion’ Promotes Big With Cast Working at Disneyland
Welcome, foolish mortals to the Haunted Mansion! 👻 Watch as the cast surprised guests at Disneyland last month.
See Disney's #HauntedMansion in theaters July 28. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/WZ8eCcvn8W
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) July 15, 2023
Though the cast of Haunted Mansion includes LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tiffany Haddish, Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito, and so much more—the House of Mouse tapped Stanfield, Wilson, and Curtis for a scare that fans were certainly not expecting. All three stars dressed in their finest haunted threads and ushered Guests to their eventual doom.
In the film, Jamie Lee Curtis portrays Madame Leota, who we all know to be the woman stuck in the crystal ball. Well, it is just her head. While Guests approached the stretching room, Curtis welcomed in shocked fans. She also quips that Guests might see Madame Leota on the ride, and she’s a “headful.” We love wordplay. As the door closes on the patrons enjoying the ride, Curtis yells, “suckers!”
After the stretching room, Guests began to shriek, seeing Owen Wilson (Kent, in the film) guide them to their next portion of the ride. The shrieks are heard loudly, which we hope is only from the shock of seeing one of the film stars. We imagine that Disney fans were pleased to see Wilson, the Cars series star.
Finally, right before Guests take their buggies, they are treated to the final surprise of seeing LaKeith Stanfield, who plays Ban Mathias in the Haunted Mansion film.
The video ends with the three stars enjoying the beloved ride before chanting, “Haunted!” We have to hand it to Disney for constantly wanting to surprise Guests with cast surprises like this.
Related: Jamie Lee Curtis Shares BTS Look at ‘Haunted Mansion’ Costumes
Though we imagine that most people couldn’t see the Haunted Mansion cast at Disneyland, we hope everyone is scared (shocked) when the film hits theaters on July 28. We mean scared in a good way, as the film looks like it will be a very successful reboot.
Are you excited about Haunted Mansion? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!