Haunted Mansion Director Says Disney Was Concerned Some Moments Would Be Too Scary (Exclusive)

Haunted Mansion is being released in theaters this month, and it’s the latest film from Disney that’s based on one of their iconic rides. The movie features a star-studded cast and was helmed by Dear White People director, Justin Simien. When it comes to adapting a ride like Haunted Mansion, there’s a lot to consider, including how to capture the spookiness of the ride without being too scary for kids. Recently, ComicBook.com had the chance to chat with Simien, who revealed Disney was concerned some moments in the upcoming film would be too scary.

“There were some things that the studio thought would be too scary,” Simien revealed. “And then we started to screen the movie and the first folks in, we’d be like, ‘Is the movie too scary?’ Kids would raise their hands like, ‘No, I can handle it. We want more.’ And so eventually there were things that I truly didn’t think were, especially involving the Hat Box Ghost, and especially with some of the jump scares, that I wasn’t sure if it was really going to make it through, but it did because the kids wanted more of it. And I kept saying my first Disney movies, those are still the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. So I talk about Pinocchio becoming a donkey, Snow White getting lost in the forest, these things are terrifying. Like Simba losing Mufasa, these are scary moments.” 

“And kids can handle it. And if you just respect them enough to handle the story, they can do it. And we just leaned into that,” he added. “Life is scary.” 

What Is Haunted Mansion About?

In Haunted Mansion, 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).  

The film is based on Disney’s classic theme park attraction and is directed by Justin Simien (Bad Hair, Dear White People) and produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich (Aladdin). Nick Reynolds (Easter Sunday) and Tom Peitzman (The Lion King) are the executive producers.

“We have this set piece in the middle of the movie that was really cool and we’re trying all these things, and I’m like, ‘Stretching room. That’s the candy. That’s the thing we’re all looking for,’” Simien recently shared with Entertainment Weekly. “It was about taking that effect and figuring out how to work it into the story … As we all know, there’s 999 haunts in this house, and they have slightly different objectives. As the cast figures out if the hauntings are for good or for ill, who’s working for who, and who’s helping us and who wants us to stay here, the stretching room becomes a missing piece of that puzzle. They start to figure out exactly who it is that’s after them and who’s with them. The other thing was about how do we make it cinematic? It’s a cool effect when you’re sitting in that elevator and moving from floor to floor [on the ride], but how do we make that adventure and escapism? How do we take some of the ideas in those paintings and expand them into a real set piece that feels satisfying?”  

Haunted Mansion lands in theaters on July 28th.