“Halloween” meets “Haunted Mansion”? There are reports that Jamie Lee Curtis, a veteran actress of the slasher-film genre, has joined the cast of the in-production Disney movie based on the spooky theme-park ride.
Several entertainment outlets have said Curtis will be on board, including One Take News, which first published the item online. Curtis retweeted One Take’s post on her Instagram account without comment, then later posted a photo collage of herself, Leota and Oscar winner Jared Leto.
One Take also reported Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “Suicide Squad”) had joined the “Haunted Mansion” cast.
Curtis reportedly will play Madame Leota, who appears in the attraction as a head floating inside a crystal ball.
Although Haunted Mansion appears in multiple Disney theme parks, this film looks to be based out of the Disneyland version. Shooting has been done in New Orleans, which matches up with the California park’s attraction, and a Disney synopsis says a doctor (played by Rosario Dawson) starts a new life in “a strangely affordable mansion in New Orleans.”
Theme Park Rangers
Weekly
The latest happenings at Disney, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and other Central Florida attractions.
In addition, Leto reportedly will portray the Hatbox Ghost, a character that appears only in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
Curtis’ Disney credits include 2003′s “Freaky Friday,” a body-switch movie with Lindsay Lohan, and “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” a 2008 comedy. Her “Halloween Ends” film debuts Oct. 14.
Other members of the “Mansion” cast include Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson and Danny DeVito.
The film, directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People”), is scheduled to be released in March 2023.
It’s not the ride’s first go-round in theaters. In 2003, Walt Disney Studios’ “Haunted Mansion” starred Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp and Jennifer Tilly, who played Leota. It made $182 million worldwide.
Last year, the attraction and its elements were featured in a Disney+ special titled “Muppets Haunted Mansion.”
Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theme park news? Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters or the Theme Park Rangers podcast at orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-podcast