It is very clear that no matter how many Disney remakes get the collective ire of the audience, the Mouse House is nowhere near ending this particular mission. Well, what the studio doesn’t know is that the universe likes to repeat its lesson unless one learns from it.
Based on the kind of chatter the soon-to-be-released Haunted Mansion keeps generating, that does seem to be the fate it is inevitably headed for.
The upcoming film is a remake of the 2003 film The Haunted Mansion – yes, Disney, just remove “The,” very original – which despite being a critical failure brought in a whopping $182.3 million at the box office against a budget of $90 million. And if the box office projections for the reboot aren’t proof enough that it is destined for a rather bleak future, ongoing reactions have been majorly varying levels of negative emotions against the $157.8 million flick.
Many can’t wrap their heads around the logic of the film’s release date, i.e. July 28, 2023.
Haunted Mansion would indeed have a more solid chance of being a success if it was set to be released around Halloween. But this is hardly Disney’s first bad decision and certainly not its last. And it’s not like it left much space to make new ones when it comes to the reboot as even the film’s first proper peek failed to impress its audience.
Based on Disney’s latest streak of misfires — against the backdrop of past box office bombs that still sting — Haunted Mansion is already 2023’s freshest mistake for many.
Even though the 2003 film failed to woo the critics, it has acquired a cult status over the years, becoming a timeless wonder. By remaking the film, Disney has just re-reminded many that it is way past its golden era.
But maybe — just maybe — the film will sail through the worst because of its lovable cast.
Haunted Mansion has been in development since 2010, with Guillermo del Toro attached to write and produce the project initially. But his absence in the finished product isn’t the only thing that changed, as around 2015 rumors flew that Ryan Gosling was slated to join the film and soon the actor also confirmed the news that he was discussing the same with del Toro.
By 2020, del Toro completely left Haunted Mansion after Disney deemed his script too scary, and along with him disappeared the whispers of Gosling joining the film’s cast.And irony is that the film is going to be up against Gosling’s much-favored Barbie at the box office.
Luck hasn’t really been on Disney’s side lately, even when it momentarily stays away from messing with the reputation of a classic. It remains to be seen whether the visible emotions already clouding the film’s potential will end up deciding its future or it will at least manage to woo the critics even if it tanks at the box office.