New Haunted Mansion Movie Adds The Mandalorian’s Rosario Dawson

The cast of Disney’s upcoming film adaptation of The Haunted Mansion is starting to resemble a Knives Out sequel. Each casting announcement has brought another beloved star to the upcoming adaptation. First, it was Tiffany Haddish and LaKeith Stanfield cast as the film’s leads. Then, earlier this week, Owen Wilson was added to the cast. Thursday morning brought the latest bit of casting news from The Haunted Mansion, as Rosario Dawson joins the star-studded roster.

According to a new report from Deadline, Dawson has joined the cast of The Haunted Mansion ahead of its production in Atlanta next month. The new adaptation comes from Dear White People and Bad Hair director Justin Simien. There are no story or character details floating around at this time, so the roles being played by each of the actors involved remain a mystery. The public information about the movie is that it follows a family who moves into the eerie mansion, and that it features an ensemble cast.

Katie Dippold is penning the script for this latest adaptation of The Haunted Mansion, while Aladdin‘s Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich produce.

Dawson has been well-known and well-loved by movie and TV fans for quite a while, having starred in projects like Rent, Daredevil, Clerks II, and Josie and the Pussycats. However, she has recently seen a massive spike in popularity after showing up as the Force-using Ahsoka Tano in the second season of the acclaimed Star Wars series The Mandalorian. After making her live-action Star Wars debut, Dawson is set to lead a spinoff series centered around Ahsoka.

The original Haunted Mansion attraction first opened in 1969 and has remained one of the most popular attractions at any of the Disney Parks. However, despite its popularity, The Haunted Mansion has yet to translate into a successful film franchise. A 2003 adaptation starring Eddie Murphy never landed with audiences, while an adaption of another Disney ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, became an international phenomenon that same year.

Disney knows that there is money to be found in movies based on the company’s iconic theme park rides. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was an absolute juggernaut for Walt Disney Studios over the course of its five-film run, and there are plenty of reports about reboots and sequels as the studio looks to find ways to keep it going. Jungle Cruise just debuted earlier this summer, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt starring as its lead adventurers. The film earned over $106 million at the domestic box office despite being available to purchase on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to checking out Disney’s new adaptation of The Haunted Mansion? Let us know in the comments!