Justin Simien Hopes Viewers Have A Ball With ‘Haunted Mansion’
Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien had his work cut out for him with the task of bringing the iconic Disney attraction to the big screen.
With 999 ghosts, and some of the most memorable scenes that Walt Disney Imagineering ever created to work with, Simien had to balance meeting Disney Park fans’ expectations with telling a story of his own.
Credit: Disney
Jamie Lee Curtis As Madame Leota
Perhaps the perfect example of Simien striking just such a balance was his decision to cast Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis as floating crystal ball head Madame Leota.
In the upcoming film, Simien calls the fan-favorite character “a little subversive” and “a little funny”. Nevertheless, he claims that Curtis’ performance packs “the gravitas you’d expect”.
Credit: https://hauntedmansion.fandom.com/wiki/Madame_Leota
“She starts off as one of the relics, one of the items, one of the aspects of the house that has to be discovered, but becomes a functional character and a useful ally in the film.”
While Madame Leota will surely look familiar to fans of the Haunted Mansion attraction, the story built around her is “entirely new.”
Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota in Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
With that said, the foundation of the film is rooted in Haunted Mansion lore.
Bringing An Iconic Attraction To The Big Screen
“When I got the job, the first thing we did was we extensively toured [the ride],” says Simien. Walt Disney Imagineering not only gave the film team an in-depth tour of the mansion, but they also gave the team access to the attraction’s “bible” which further dives into the backstory.
Photo: Disney
“You really do meet the mansion the way you would as a guest at the park: through the eyes of a new cast exploring the lore along with you,” Simien explains.
The director and his team obsessed over the details of the Haunted Mansion, using copies of the ride’s chairs doorknobs, and paintings in the film.
Photo: Disney
“We got down to the point where we were obsessing over the angle you first see the mansion when you walk onto the ride in Disneyland, when we see it through the gates and we see the pillars. That angle has to hit. That’s how specific we were,” he says.
“When you first glide through the dining hall and you see the waltzing dancers, that angle had to be right, because that’s the one where you gasp on the ride.”
Photo: Disney
Using Practical Effects
In addition to fan-favorite characters such as the Hatbox Ghost, organist, and Ghost Host, Simien insisted that the film include as many Easter Eggs as possible. He even reworked the initial script to include the Stretching Room.
Photo: Also Disney
Finally, whenever possible the team behind the film used practical effects as opposed to CGI.
“There’s a practicality to the tricks on the ride that I felt was important. When I took the job I said, ‘I don’t want to make CGI soup. We have to build the house.’ Even if we’re not doing an effect practically, we have to make it look like we did, because there’s something about the groundedness of the ride that makes it what it is. It makes it charming.”
Photo: Also Disney
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