Disney’s Haunted Mansion Release Date Moved Up

Whenever a highly anticipated movie has its release date changed, audiences immediately get worried that there might be a longer wait than expected, but in the case of Disney’s Haunted Mansion movie, the thrilling experience will be unveiled a bit earlier than previously announced. Instead of landing in theaters in August, the film will now be debuting two weeks earlier. It’s currently unknown the reasoning behind the shift, but other anticipated projects, like the Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels, have had their release dates recently pushed back by months by the studio. Haunted Mansion will now be landing in theaters on July 28th.

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).  

Given the inherent spookiness of the concept, some audiences might have anticipated it being released closer to Halloween, so fans will be left guessing about this recent shift.

The film is inspired by the iconic ride at Disney Parks, with the concept having previously been adapted into a film in 2003 starring Eddie Murphy. Jamie Lee Curtis, who stars as Madame Leota, previously teased how the film will blend the inherently spooky nature of the concept with the family-friendly tone of the ride.

“I think they found the sweet spot of scary, funny, and adventure,” Curtis shared with Entertainment Weekly of the project last year. “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.”

Haunted Mansion lands in theaters on July 28th.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!