Haunted Mansion Movie Gets Unexpected Rating

By Patrick Cavanaugh

When Disney first brought one of its iconic attractions to life in 2003 for the Eddie Murphy-starring The Haunted Mansion, it kept the family-friendly tone and landed in theaters with a PG rating, but its new take on the material has seemingly embraced the spookier side of the attraction, as confirmed by its MPA rating. The new Haunted Mansion has scored a PG-13 rating due to "some thematic elements and scary action." Fans of the original ride know that the overall vibe is campy more than creepy, but given that there are themes of murder and suicide, it seems as though this new take on the material honors the original ride a bit more authentically, even if it proves to be a bit intense for younger viewers. Haunted Mansion is expected to hit theaters on August 11th.

In the new film, a doctor (Rosario Dawson) and her 9-year-old son (Chase Dillon), looking to start a new life, move into a strangely affordable mansion in New Orleans, only to discover that the place is much more than they bargained for. Desperate for help, they contact a priest (Owen Wilson), who, in turn, enlists the aid of a widowed scientist-turned failed-paranormal expert (LaKeith Stanfield), a French Quarter psychic (Tiffany Haddish), and a crotchety historian (Danny DeVito).

Star of the film Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Madame Leota, previously teased how the film finds a balance between whimsy and outright scary.

"I think they found the sweet spot of scary, funny, and adventure," Curtis shared with Entertainment Weekly of the project. "You know, it's cooking. I barely cook, I attempt cooking all the time, and it's all ingredients, and then the mix and the time, and it's always hard to know, are you going to make something yummy? And from what I'm seeing, and what I've heard, [director] Justin [Simien] has made something yummy."

She continued, "It's modern, fresh, old-fashioned, and scary, but not scary like a monster movie. It's scary like a Disney ride, and funny. If you go on that ride, there's a lot of humor as well as the scary, ghost-y stuff."

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Haunted Mansion is expected to hit theaters on August 11th.

Are you excited that the film has earned a PG-13 rating? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!   

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