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‘Haunted Mansion’ Could Save Disney After ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Flop

in Movies, Movies & TV, The Walt Disney Company

Posted on by Amanda Landwehr 2 Comments
'Haunted Mansion' (2023) cast gathered together

Credit: Disney

In what might be the surprise winner of the summer box office, Disney’s Haunted Mansion (2023) is already earning rave reviews from critics following its star-devoid premiere, which went on as scheduled despite the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.

Danny Devito screaming in Disney's Haunted Mansion
Credit: Disney

Related: Haunted Mansion Shutting Down Just as Movie Hits Theaters, Disney Worried About Another Flop?

It’s been a big year for Walt Disney Studios—for better or worse. While some blockbusters like The Little Mermaid (2023) and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) fared well with fans, others missed the mark entirely.

Harrison Ford’s last rendezvous as the titular adventurer in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) is on track to be the biggest flop in Disney/Lucasfilm history after failing to break even on its rumored $350 million budget, while Pixar’s Elemental missed the mark with critics while failing to draw in audiences. There’s also director David Lowery’s live-action remake of J.M. Barrie’s beloved fable, Peter Pan & Wendy (2023), which was released directly to Disney+ in April. Critics heavily scrutinized the film for being a bland, washed-out, and generally unremarkable retelling of the animated original.

Still from Dial of Destiny
Credit: Lucasfilm

Related: Disney’s Haunted Mansion Is Being Sold on Zillow

However, the studio’s upcoming release, which isn’t a remake as much of an adaptation, might just rescue Disney from an uncertain year at the global box office. Based on the beloved Disney Parks ride, Director Justin Simien’s Haunted Mansion is slated to arrive in theaters later this month and promises a spooktacular adventure full of ghosts, ghouls, and other things that go “bump” in the night.

Check out the official trailer for Walt Disney Studios’ Haunted Mansion below:

The new Haunted Mansion will tell a different story than the Eddie Murphy-led 2003 movie of the same name, though it will echo many similar comedy-thriller elements. It also features an all-star cast including Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, and Danny DeVito. Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis is also joining in on the fun, proving that we’re in for a scary good time with this ensemble.

Stacked cast aside, the story itself looks especially intriguing, following single mom Gabbie (Dawson) and her son, Travis (Chase W. Dillon), as they hire a tour guide, a psychic, a priest, and a historian to help exorcise her newly-bought mansion after discovering supernatural entities inhabit it. Along the way, there’s sure to be plenty of mayhem and mischief, and according to early reviews, lots of callbacks to the Disney Parks ride.

Haunted Mansion 2023
Credit: Disney

Haunted Mansion held its premiere at Disneyland Resort on Saturday, where actors were replaced with Park actors and Disney characters amid the historic SAG-AFTRA strike, which advises stars to skip premieres and press events in solidarity with the movement. And considering how highly-publicized the protest has been so far, crossing the picket line would surely bruise an actor’s reputation, especially in the eyes of fellow performers.

In lieu of big-name celebs, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Maleficent, and Cruella de Vil strutted down the red carpet during the event. And despite nearly everything working against the film and its chances, it hit a surprising home run with critics.

haunted-mansion-cast
Credit: Disney

After the premiere, critics took to social media to share their immediate reactions and reviews for Disney’s Haunted Mansion, and so far, the reception leans overwhelmingly positive. Many early viewers praised the movie’s stunning VFX, while others noted LaKeith Stanfield’s scene-stealing performance.

On Twitter, MiceChat proclaimed that the movie “was a spectral spectacle that brought the iconic ride to life,” accompanied by a clip of the premiere event, which was held at Disneyland California Adventure’s Hyperion Theater:

On the other hand, Collider‘s Steven Weintraub praised the film’s ability to appeal to both children and adults, teasing some major Easter eggs for fans of the Disney Parks ride:

Shannon McGrew specifically complimented screenwriter Katie Dippold, who she credited with weaving together a story that ” rides a fine line [between] humor/horror” while tacking more mature themes of death and grief in a way that’s palpable to viewers:

POC Culture also promised some “fun cameos” and references to the ride, while also teasing a “healthy dose of jump scares” for fright fanatics:

Although some critics weren’t completely sold on the story, citing a slow first act and weak efforts to “be deep,” most seemed to enjoy their time with Disney’s latest outing. Haunted Mansion will be Disney’s final live-action film for a while, with the next movie in the slate being the Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot-led Snow White (2024). From the sounds of it, Haunted Mansion might be the perfect Disney pallet cleanser to hold us over until then.

Gabbie and Travis in Grand Hall Ballroom scene, Haunted Mansion movie
Credit: Disney

For now, it’ll be interesting to see if the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes score will reflect early viewers’ generally positive opinions and if audiences will agree. Regardless, one thing’s for sure: the Walt Disney Company can’t afford another box office “boo” as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike continues to bring their productions to a screeching halt.

You can decide if Haunted Mansion lives up to the hype when it arrives in theaters on July 28, 2023.

Do you plan on going to see Haunted Mansion when it arrives later this month, or are you skipping this spine-tingling story? Let us know in the comments below.

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