Stars: Lakeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon, Daniel Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto | Written by Katie Dippold | Directed by Justin Simien
Directed by Justin Simien (Dear White People), this disappointing comedy-horror is Disney’s second attempt at turning their popular theme park attraction into a movie franchise, following the disastrous 2003 Eddie Murphy vehicle. With a shorter, snappier running time, it could have been a fun ride – much like the attraction itself – but instead it’s a bloated, painfully dull and wildly uneven mess that quickly outstays its welcome, despite the efforts of its talented comic cast.
The film gets off to a bad start with a confusing jump from a meet-cute between astrophysicist Ben Matthias (Lakeith Stanfield) and haunted house tour guide (Charity Jordan) to a period some years later, where he is both an alcoholic and a haunted house tour guide operator himself,...
Directed by Justin Simien (Dear White People), this disappointing comedy-horror is Disney’s second attempt at turning their popular theme park attraction into a movie franchise, following the disastrous 2003 Eddie Murphy vehicle. With a shorter, snappier running time, it could have been a fun ride – much like the attraction itself – but instead it’s a bloated, painfully dull and wildly uneven mess that quickly outstays its welcome, despite the efforts of its talented comic cast.
The film gets off to a bad start with a confusing jump from a meet-cute between astrophysicist Ben Matthias (Lakeith Stanfield) and haunted house tour guide (Charity Jordan) to a period some years later, where he is both an alcoholic and a haunted house tour guide operator himself,...
- 8/11/2023
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
[This story contains spoilers for Haunted Mansion.]
Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien wanted to make a Disney movie that wasn’t afraid to challenge younger audiences in the same way that the Disney classics of his youth did. From Bambi’s Mother’s death in Bambi (1942) to Scar murdering Mufasa in The Lion King (1994), Disney has never shied away from heavier subject matters and themes, but in the case of the Haunted Mansion, there was one line that Simien just could not cross.
The lead of Simien’s film is Lakeith Stanfield’s Ben, a former astrophysicist turned paranormal tour guide in New Orleans. Ben’s life hasn’t been the same since his wife, Alyssa (Charity Jordan), died in a car accident, and so the character was originally slated for a rather devastating ending, as opposed to the more upbeat version that’s in theaters now.
“Once we cast Lakeith, there was something that...
Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien wanted to make a Disney movie that wasn’t afraid to challenge younger audiences in the same way that the Disney classics of his youth did. From Bambi’s Mother’s death in Bambi (1942) to Scar murdering Mufasa in The Lion King (1994), Disney has never shied away from heavier subject matters and themes, but in the case of the Haunted Mansion, there was one line that Simien just could not cross.
The lead of Simien’s film is Lakeith Stanfield’s Ben, a former astrophysicist turned paranormal tour guide in New Orleans. Ben’s life hasn’t been the same since his wife, Alyssa (Charity Jordan), died in a car accident, and so the character was originally slated for a rather devastating ending, as opposed to the more upbeat version that’s in theaters now.
“Once we cast Lakeith, there was something that...
- 8/2/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
And the Summer of product adaptations and remakes continues! Last weekend Barbie just about blew the doors off the box office and the multiplex in a virtual tsunami of pink perfection. Hey, if a toy can revive the ticket sale doldrums, why not a flick based on a ride from the Disney theme parks? After all, those Caribbean Pirates spurred quite a profitable “tentpole” for the studio. But then there were costly flops like Tomorrowland and who remembers The Country Bears (maybe they just needed that “nose candy”). Well, this concept was exploited nearly twenty years ago, so this is also, technically, a remake (without any of the main human characters from the first time). Perhaps the modest success of the other remake a few months ago, The Little Mermaid, is lifting the “ahem” spirits of the mouse house. So, even though Halloween is months away, are filmgoers in the...
- 7/28/2023
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on Wbgr-fm on July 28th, reviewing “Haunted Mansion,” another film based on a ride at the Walt Disney Theme Parks. In theaters beginning July 28th.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Based on a ride at the Walt Disney theme parks, the film features astrophysicist and paranormal tour guide Ben (Lakeith Stanfield), whose wife (Charity Jordan) has recently passed away. In his mourning, he has given up on his elaborate video system that can “see dead people.” When single mother Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) moves into a Louisiana mansion that is haunted, she begs Father Kent (Owen Wilson) to recruit Ben to help see the ghosts that bedevil her and her son. The cleansing team also includes the psychic Harriet (Tiffany Haddish), Professor Bruce (Danny DeVito) and medium Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis). Who ya gonna call?
”Haunted Mansion” is in theaters beginning July 28th.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Based on a ride at the Walt Disney theme parks, the film features astrophysicist and paranormal tour guide Ben (Lakeith Stanfield), whose wife (Charity Jordan) has recently passed away. In his mourning, he has given up on his elaborate video system that can “see dead people.” When single mother Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) moves into a Louisiana mansion that is haunted, she begs Father Kent (Owen Wilson) to recruit Ben to help see the ghosts that bedevil her and her son. The cleansing team also includes the psychic Harriet (Tiffany Haddish), Professor Bruce (Danny DeVito) and medium Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis). Who ya gonna call?
”Haunted Mansion” is in theaters beginning July 28th.
- 7/27/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
For a few years there back in the early ’80s, Disney took a turn to the dark side, releasing live-action movies like “The Watcher in the Woods” (featuring a creepy late-career Bette Davis) and “Something Wicked This Way Comes” (from the mind of Ray Bradbury) that were intense enough to inspire nightmares — in kids, at least. The youngsters of that time are now parents, and some are surely asking themselves how far they can trust Disney not to traumatize another generation when a movie like “Haunted Mansion” comes along.
Truth be told, the PG-13-rated feature — which marks the studio’s second big-screen adaptation of its spooky theme park attraction — isn’t really that scary. Director Justin Simien (“Dear White People”) leans more on comedy than horror, bringing together a handful of funny stars to deal with Gracey Manor’s ghost problem. The result is certainly a lot less frightening...
Truth be told, the PG-13-rated feature — which marks the studio’s second big-screen adaptation of its spooky theme park attraction — isn’t really that scary. Director Justin Simien (“Dear White People”) leans more on comedy than horror, bringing together a handful of funny stars to deal with Gracey Manor’s ghost problem. The result is certainly a lot less frightening...
- 7/25/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, Lakeith Stanfield, and Owen Wilson in Haunted Mansion.Photo: Jalen Marlowe
It would be interesting to see the version of Haunted Mansion that star Lakeith Stanfield seems to think he’s in—one where his jaded, grieving, scientist-turned-wannabe believer in ghosts could see his grounded performance...
It would be interesting to see the version of Haunted Mansion that star Lakeith Stanfield seems to think he’s in—one where his jaded, grieving, scientist-turned-wannabe believer in ghosts could see his grounded performance...
- 7/25/2023
- by Luke Y. Thompson
- avclub.com
In 2003, audiences watched Eddie Murphy drop into “Haunted Mansion” in Rob Minkoff’s poorly received riff on Disney’s famous ride. Now 20 years later, Justin Simien, director of “Dear White People” and a former Disneyland ride operator, is trying his hand at putting the “grim, grinning ghosts” of the popular theme park attraction on the big screen — and the results are impressive.
Simien’s “Haunted Mansion” is a wondrous blend of horror and comedy, tinged with emotional resonance in its story of grief and how we try to connect with those we’ve lost. Anchored by a phenomenal performance by Lakeith Stanfield (“Atlanta”) and a solid ensemble, “Haunted Mansion” is a worthy take on the ride and a sleeper hit for families looking to find a fun summer film.
Ben Matthias (Stanfield) is a brilliant astrophysicist who’s given up on life after his wife’s death. When he’s...
Simien’s “Haunted Mansion” is a wondrous blend of horror and comedy, tinged with emotional resonance in its story of grief and how we try to connect with those we’ve lost. Anchored by a phenomenal performance by Lakeith Stanfield (“Atlanta”) and a solid ensemble, “Haunted Mansion” is a worthy take on the ride and a sleeper hit for families looking to find a fun summer film.
Ben Matthias (Stanfield) is a brilliant astrophysicist who’s given up on life after his wife’s death. When he’s...
- 7/25/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Justin Simien’s Haunted Mansion, with the bright purple and radiant turquoise vapor trails of whatever smoke machine was used during production, handily invokes the campiness of the iconic Disneyland attraction, if not its kinetics. But while several set pieces move along with surprising alacrity and humor, Katie Dippold’s script drowns in exposition and lore-building, at times drawing distracting comparison to her work on the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot.
In New Orleans, Ben (Lakeith Stanfield) is drunkenly leading ghost tours in the wake of his invention of an astral spectrometer, which derailed his career as an astrophysicist. Ben is also struggling to accept the sudden death of his wife, Alyssa (Charity Jordan), and has sworn off paranormal investigating. But soon he’s roped back in, at the behest of Father Kent (Owen Wilson), after a single mother, Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), and her son, Travis (Chase W. Dillon), move into a mansion...
In New Orleans, Ben (Lakeith Stanfield) is drunkenly leading ghost tours in the wake of his invention of an astral spectrometer, which derailed his career as an astrophysicist. Ben is also struggling to accept the sudden death of his wife, Alyssa (Charity Jordan), and has sworn off paranormal investigating. But soon he’s roped back in, at the behest of Father Kent (Owen Wilson), after a single mother, Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), and her son, Travis (Chase W. Dillon), move into a mansion...
- 7/25/2023
- by Greg Nussen
- Slant Magazine
The Haunted Mansion is a dark ride attraction located at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. The ride is set in a large, creaky mansion that is rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of its former residents. Riders are led through a series of rooms, each of which is decorated with creepy props and features a different ghostly encounter. Some of the most famous scenes in the ride include the Ballroom, where a group of ghosts are dancing, the Conservatory, where a casket floats in mid-air, and Madame Leota’s Séance Room, where a disembodied head floats in a crystal ball. Someone at Disney decided this was enough substance to turn this into a feature film. Not sure why.
Disney’s Haunted Mansion film, helmed by Justin Simien and penned by Katie Dippold, is a horror-comedy ride based on the famous Disneyland attraction. However, the ride this film takes...
Disney’s Haunted Mansion film, helmed by Justin Simien and penned by Katie Dippold, is a horror-comedy ride based on the famous Disneyland attraction. However, the ride this film takes...
- 7/25/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The first trailer for Netflix’s “They Cloned Tyrone” is here.
The upcoming sci-fi mystery, directed by “Creed 2” and “Space Jam 2” writer Juel Taylor, stars Jamie Foxx, John Boyega and Teyonah Parris.
Read More: Jamie Foxx Debuts New ‘Day Shift’ Rap Video Featuring Co-Star Dave Franco
The synopsis for the film reads: “A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy.”
The film marks Foxx’s latest project in collaboration with Netflix. It follows the actor’s movie “Day Shift”, released on the streamer last month, and 2020’s “Power Project”.
Read More: John Boyega Says He’s No Longer The ‘Elephant In The Room’ Following Disney’s Support Of Moses Ingram: ‘It’s Fantastic’
J. Alphonse Nicholson, Shariff Earp, Tamberla Perry, Megan Sousa, Shiquita James, Myrom Kingery and Charity Jordan are also set to star in the film.
“They...
The upcoming sci-fi mystery, directed by “Creed 2” and “Space Jam 2” writer Juel Taylor, stars Jamie Foxx, John Boyega and Teyonah Parris.
Read More: Jamie Foxx Debuts New ‘Day Shift’ Rap Video Featuring Co-Star Dave Franco
The synopsis for the film reads: “A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy.”
The film marks Foxx’s latest project in collaboration with Netflix. It follows the actor’s movie “Day Shift”, released on the streamer last month, and 2020’s “Power Project”.
Read More: John Boyega Says He’s No Longer The ‘Elephant In The Room’ Following Disney’s Support Of Moses Ingram: ‘It’s Fantastic’
J. Alphonse Nicholson, Shariff Earp, Tamberla Perry, Megan Sousa, Shiquita James, Myrom Kingery and Charity Jordan are also set to star in the film.
“They...
- 9/25/2022
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
"I know you're scared, so are we..." Epix has unveiled the trailer for a film called American Refugee, the latest from filmmaker Ali LeRoi, who last made The Obituary of Tunde Johnson. This is actually a made-for-tv movie, produced by Blumhouse Television, and kind of looks like The Purge meets a zombie movie. A family seeks shelter in a neighbor’s bunker, while the American economy is in collapse and the nation under martial law. There, they find the danger inside is potentially greater than the danger outside. Starring Erika Alexander & Derek Luke, with Sam Trammell, Zamani Wilder, Jessi Case, Vince Mattis, Charity Jordan, and Peyton Jackson. This all looks so obvious and cheesy. As much as this kind of story is worth telling (also see: New Order), this is an uninspired way to talk about survival in America. Meh. The whole "the real threat is not from the outside,...
- 11/21/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
We've been writing about Ava DuVernay's fantastic drama "Selma" since it first debuted at the AFI Film Festival on Nov. 11. While many have been able to catch the Best Picture player in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and other select cities since Christmas, the rest of the nation will finally get their chance to experience it on Friday. Paramount Pictures has provided HitFix with an exclusive clip which comes at a pivotal moment in the film. Early on audiences are introduced to three residents of the city, Cager Lee (Henry G. Sanders), his daughter Viola Jackson (Charity Jordan) and his grandson, Jimmie Lee Jackson (Keith Stanfield). They, like many African-American residents of the area, were peacefully protesting the fact that a civil rights leader was being held in county jail when they were attacked by police officers. Lee and his family sought refuge in a local restaurant when police found them and tragedy struck.
- 1/6/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
'Selma' movie review: Politically salient in the early 21st century and 'beautiful in all the ways of cinema' (photo: David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. in 'Selma') The title of director Ava DuVernay's historical drama Selma tells us what the film is about, while implying what it isn't about. In other words, Selma is not about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- wonderfully played by British actor David Oyelowo -- even though the reverend is the film's gravitational center and its emotional weight accrues to him. Just like what took place in Selma, Alabama, back in 1965. In fact, Oyelowo's presence is as transfixing as that of the young Ben Kingsley in his transformative interpretation of Gandhi in Sir Richard Attenborough's 1982 titular classic about one of Dr. King's inspirational figures. Unlike Gandhi, however, Selma is a single canvas on which a few months in Dr.
- 1/3/2015
- by Tim Cogshell
- Alt Film Guide
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.