At the San Diego Comic-Con Disney made the surprise announcement that horror/fantasy specialist Guillermo del Toro will direct a film based on the Haunted Mansion theme park thrill ride.  The Mouse House of course has had tremendous success in turning its Pirates of the Caribbean ride into a billion dollar movie franchise, but its 2003 attempt to create an Eddie Murphy horror comedy based on the Haunted Mansion—well not so much--as the attempt to mix laughter and thrills failed to generate the kind of franchise Disney was seeking.

 

Del Toro promised the Comic-Con audience that he would put the fright factor into his version of the Haunted Mansion, saying he would make the Haunted Mansion “the most haunted place on earth,” and indicating that he would to revive the Hatbox Ghost that originally been a part of the Haunted Mansion ride, but which had been banished quickly due to technical problems with the lighting effects.  Del Toro promised at San Diego that the film will be built around the iconic figure of the Hatbox Ghost, which has remained prominent in the advertisements for the Haunted Mansion ride, if not in the ride itself.

 

The deal to direct Haunted Mansion grew directly out of an agreement that Del Toro signed with Disney last year to create a new production banner, Disney Double Dare You with the intention of creating films full of thrills and chills for audience of all ages (see “Hobbit Helmer in Disney Pact”).

 

When Del Toro walked away from directing the Hobbit movies because the financial insecurity at MGM kept delaying production (see “Hobbit Director Quits”), it cleared the way for him to helm the Haunted Mansion movie.