Katie Dippold knows her Haunted Mansion lore, proving that in the world of remakes there’s room for one more. The latest trailer for Haunted Mansion, the new film she wrote, shows more than just nods to the attraction we all know and love. Director Justin Simien teams with her to bring to life scenes that never actually made it into the Mansion. There’s a flood in this trailer, and that was the great missed opportunity on the original attraction. It would have been a great effect, but it took too long to reset. Like the previous attempt with Eddie Murphy, but hopefully better, Haunted Mansion looks to be spending a little time on backstory. Also, just enough time on the Hat-Box Ghost played by Jared Leto.
That ghost may be the main villain, but this trailer includes so much else from the attraction. The Bride clearly plays a major part, though iMDB doesn’t have an actor listed in the role. Maybe she just shrieks and tries to behead people. It’s a shame, because fans know Constance Hatchaway is to die for. Better yet, we could be seeing the birth of a strong comedy team in LaKeith Stanfield and Owen Wilson. Can Rosario Dawson hold it all together as a beleaguered single mom?
We have a date as well — July 28. I thank Disney for that, as it’s the week after Comic-Con in San Diego, just when I need a movie to look forward to seeing.
