Danny DeVito Joins Lakeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, and More For Remake of Disney's 'Haunted Mansion'
Disney is out in the orchard picking stars off the trees again, this time for a remake of Disney's not-that-classic-movie-based-on-a-classic-ride, Haunted Mansion.
Originally a fun smoke-and-mirrors dark ride at Disneyland, the Haunted Mansion ride didn't make its way onto the big screen until over 30 years after it was built, in a 2003 comedy starring Eddie Murphy. The movie unfortunately bombed with both critics and audiences, earning an abysmal 14% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Now, it seems Disney is ready to try again, and just to ensure a different result, they've been studding the cast with stars every step of the way. They've already tapped Lakeith Stanfield, Tiffany Hadish, Owen Wilson, and Rosario Dawson to play various roles in the film, though only Stanfield and Haddish have received named roles yet; Stanfield will play the lead, Ben Matthias, a widowed and disenfranchised engineer, and Haddish will play "a hapless psychic who is hired to speak with the spirits at the Haunted Mansion."
Today, Disney has added a new star to the lineup, and we even know who he will play: Danny DeVito, known for a myriad of roles in projects that range from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia to Matilda to Hercules. The comedy legend will be playing "a smug professor," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
This new iteration of The Haunted Mansion - not to be confused with the Muppets version that just aired on Disney+ - is due to begin production sometime this winter.
