A new Haunted Mansion movie is on the way at Disney and the studio has just found the perfect director to helm the project!
According to Deadline, Dear White People vet Justin Simien has officially signed on to direct a brand new movie at Disney centered around the popular theme park attraction, the Haunted Mansion.
This isn’t the first time that the ride, which first debuted at Disneyland in 1969, has served as inspiration for the big screen.
Back in 2003, director Robert Minkoff helmed a family feature based on the popular ride, which starred Eddie Murphy. Fans shouldn’t expect Simien’s take to serve as a continuation or a sequel to the 2003 movie however. Instead, it sounds as though Disney’s new Haunted Mansion movie will serve up a completely different take on the story.
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One thing that’s still unclear is what the new movie will focus on. As anyone who’s ever ridden the ride at either Disneyland or Disney World can attest to however, there are certainly no shortage of memorable characters housed within the attraction that might make for good story inspiration.
Behind the camera, the movie feature a script written by Katie Dippold. Also on board are Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, both of whom are no strangers to the Disney family. The pair recently served as producers on the studio’s live action Aladdin, and will now produce on Haunted Mansion. In addition, Nick Reynolds will also serve as an executive producer on the project.
Currently, there’s no word on when we might expect to see Disney’s Haunted Mansion movie directed by Justin Simien debut via the big screen.