Despite being a fan-favorite part of the classic Disney Parks ride, the company made the shocking decision to cut the iconic Singing Busts from their latest project—something already being met with backlash.
Director Justin Simien’s live-action Haunted Mansion (2023) reboot officially arrived in theaters on July 28 to mixed reviews from audiences, who mostly agreed that while the movie was a charming family flick and a surprisingly profound examination of grief at that, its scrambled story and over-the-top cast made for a pretty unremarkable viewing experience.
The story follows single mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) as she attempts to exorcize her and her son’s (Chase Dillon) newly-purchased mansion of ghosts by enlisting the help of a scientist (LaKeith Stanfield), a medium (Tiffany Haddish), a historian (Danny DeVito), and a priest (Owen Wilson).
But while it’s safe to say the film received more “boos” than “ooos,”—and not exactly in a good way—fans of the beloved Disney Parks ride it’s based on were happy to see several callbacks and Easter eggs to the attraction, from iconic characters like Madame Leota and the Hat Box Ghost to the classic Stretching Room and its cast of bone-chilling ghouls.
Despite Simien’s noble efforts to integrate every aspect of the original Haunted Mansion attraction into the film, some things didn’t make the final cut—including a scene featuring the fan-favorite Singing Busts.
Credit: Walt Disney Studios
If you’re familiar with the Disney Parks ride, you’ve probably seen the Singing Busts placed toward the end of the Haunted Mansion ride when riders arrive at the graveyard set piece, belting out “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” Given that the singing statues were immortalized on film in Eddie Murphy’s 2003 Haunted Mansion adaptation, many expected the 2023 version to follow suit. But sadly, that wasn’t the case.
Speaking with The Direct, cinematographer Jeffrey Waldron shared new details about their original plans to include the iconic busts in the latest Haunted Mansion film. He revealed that they “did shoot a piece” involving the “grim grinning ghosts,” though it ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor:
You know, we did shoot a piece for it, was the Singing Busts, which I think for fans, it’s going to be a little bit of a bummer that it doesn’t make it. But the Singing Busts that sing ‘Grim Grinning Ghosts’ in that final Disneyland sequence. We shot them in the graveyard as part of the initial tour and just didn’t make the cut.
Credit: D23
After acknowledging fans’ disappointment on the matter, the cinematographer shared that he “went back to Disneyland” to ride Haunted Mansion a couple of times, adding that the Singing Busts were “the only thing” that “got away” in the new movie:
But that’s kind of the only, and having just filmed there last weekend, I went back to Disneyland and rode it a couple of times, that’s the only thing [that] sort of got away. Everything else is super in there and more than I could have ever even remembered from the ride before we made it.
Waldron is certainly correct in saying that the Singing Busts are one of, if not the only thing filmmakers grazed over when shooting Haunted Mansion, as other Easter eggs from the ride, including the Medusa head from the ride’s wallpaper, the doom buggy, and even the grandfather clock that reads 13 ‘o clock made it in. While the Stretching Room certainly got the spotlight in the comedy-thriller flick, Simien and his crew were adamant about ensuring the attraction’s fans were well satisfied.
Credit: Disney
Ultimately, it’s a little strange how such an iconic part of the Disney Parks ride didn’t make the final cut, especially considering the sheer amount of subtle, more niche references that did survive. Either way, audiences can hopefully look forward to seeing it in the deleted scenes when the movie releases digitally and physically and on Disney+ this fall.
Were you disappointed that the Singing Busts never made it into 2023’s Haunted Mansion? Let us know in the comments below.
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Credit: Disney
