Credit: DisneyDisney’s Haunted Mansion has been going through a renaissance since its new film adaptation was announced. Gone are the corny gimmicks of the Eddie Murphy version, and even some of the original scenes of the classic Disney Parks attraction have recently been portrayed in darker tones, but it doesn’t stop with just the new film.
Haunted Mansion has been billed as Disney’s newest official horror movie, and the studio hasn’t skipped on the scares. While fans still have to wait another week before the gates of Gracey Manor open on the big screen, a Haunted Mansion horror series just finished production.
A Haunted Mansion Fable
As fans await the premiere of Haunted Mansion, they don’t have to spend time waiting for their doom buggies just twiddling their thumbs. While it would be easy to simply watch the original movie or the Muppet tribute on Disney+, a third option is readily available.
The Haunted Mansion is one of the most lore-heavy attractions in the history of the Disney Parks. Tales of murderous brides, haunted hallways, and hitchhiking ghosts have saturated the ride since the original opened in Disneyland. Since then, the manor’s lore and reputation have only grown and expanded into other media, including an audio miniseries.
Podcasts might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they can be an incredibly immersive way to experience fiction. When listeners can be transported to another world with a pair of earbuds, a creaking door opens wide open for fans to enter the halls of the Gracey Manor and greet the ghosts within.
@mr.unofficialceo GRIM: A Haunted Mansion Fable is available NOW everywhere you get your podcasts… Except Google Podcasts right now apparently 😅 #hauntedmansion #disneyparks #podcast
GRIM: A Haunted Mansion Fable is an audio miniseries inspired by not one, but three variations of the Gracey Manor. @mr.unofficalceo has covered several reports regarding Disney, the Disney Parks, and particularly the Haunted Mansion. Earlier this summer, the creator announced the premiere of his fan podcast that reimagined the Disney ride into a gothic thriller worthy of American Horror Story.
Related: ‘Haunted Mansion’ Director Talks About Influence of 2003 Original
The project brilliant paints an eerie and unsettling picture of not just one, but all three canonical Disney Haunted Mansions. As the audible series brings the mansion in New Orleans, Liberty Square, and Phantom Manor to life, familiar characters like Madame Leota, Master Gracey, and the Hatbox Ghost are all given more complex roles that intertwine with Imagineering legends, American history, and folklore.
If you’re expecting a host of Happy Haunts, think again. GRIM lives up to its name and contains graphic scenes made even more visceral by the podcast’s tremendous audio design. Simply put, it’s a horror story made for Haunted Mansion fans.
Haunted Mansion premieres July 28, 2023, but GRIM is available completely free on Spotify and where other podcasts are found. Until then, all fans need is a pair of earbuds to tune into regions beyond.
Do you think Disney can go darker with its famous haunted attraction? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!