Guillermo del Toro to give Disney's Haunted Mansion the proper treatment

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It is quite possible that this is the best news to come out of the San Diego Comic Con…or at least for me.

As good as the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have been, you’d think that the Disney Company’s success would bubble over into their other films based on attractions from the parks. Sadly that was not the case with Country Bear Jamboree, the Tower of Terror (even though it was cheesy good), and most of all Haunted Mansion. Luckily that all may change now since the latter will be getting an overhaul.

Lord of the Rings guru Guillermo del Toro announced at SDCC that he will be producing and writing the script for a new film from Disney simply entitled The Haunted Mansion. The possibility is still there that he may direct it as well.

What may be the luckiest break for all of us is that the film will have no connection whatsoever to the abomination from 2003 of the same name that starred Eddie Murphy. That film was a comedy that tried to play more toward family and should have been aimed more to the garbage can. Del Toro is truly looking forward to this project after dropping out of The Hobbit due to big delays.

“It’s going to be a thrill ride for the whole family but it’s definitely going to be scary,” he said. “(Walt) Disney is one of the creators of some of the scariest images in my childhood. People forget that he not only made sweet images but also images of nightmare. We need to honor that side of the legacy.”

Del Toro said this was a dream of his and he was initially approached to do it while still attached to The Hobbit and hoped Disney would wait for him. Thanks to the delays; they didn’t have to wait long.

“We want a scary movie that’s as scary as the ride. If you’re 11 years old, you can go on the ride but it’s still scary,” said Disney production head Sean Bailey. “We’re going to make a movie that is for families but is a fun and, at times, scary movie.”

Besides having a room in his home fully devoted to the Disney attraction, del Toro let it be known that sometimes it takes a good scare just to calm his nerves. “When I’m depressed or when I have a problem, I ride the Haunted Mansion ride to clear my head.”

No word on a release date or when things may start filming, but hopefully del Toro takes his time and gives my favorite Disney attraction of all time the attention it deserves.

Credit: Hollywood Reporter