Disney wants to stay in the Owen Wilson business after playing Mobius in the hit Marvel Studios series Loki, as he’s joined the cast for their upcoming new Haunted Mansion movie set to begin shooting this October in Atlanta.
The movie from writer/director Justin Simien (Dear White People), is another project based on a beloved theme park ride with the spooky Haunted Mansion being just as recognizable as Pirates of The Caribbean or Jungle Cruise.
Owen Wilson joins Oscar-nominated actor LaKeith Stanfield (Judas & The Black Messiah, Knives Out, Uncut Gems) and Tiffany Haddish, who were previously announced for lead roles.
This isn’t the first entry into the horror genre for Wilson after being part of the casts of The Haunting remake in 1999 and having a small supporting role in Jennifer Lopez’s Anaconda in 1997.
Lucasfilm announced in late 2020 that Justin Simien would be behind a new Disney+ series focusing on Lando Calrissian, but we don’t have a clear picture when that Star Wars project is going begin shooting given that Simien will be busy with Haunted Mansion for the next year or so, and Donald Glover has his own projects coming out the wazoo.
Owen Wilson is expected to return as Mobius in season two of Loki, however, his role in Haunted Mansion would support chatter that it won’t begin shooting until 2022.
Back in 2003, Disney released The Haunted Mansion starring Eddie Murphy to a mixed response and didn’t do very well at the box office. It’s unclear how much of a connection to the new project will have if any to the previous incarnation.
THE HAUNTED MANSION – Workaholic real estate agent Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) is accused by his wife, Sara (Marsha Thomason), of neglecting his son (Marc John Jefferies) and daughter (Aree Davis), so he takes the family on a vacation. Along the way, the family stops off at a sinister mansion that Jim has been asked to sell, only to discover it’s haunted by Master Gracey (Nathaniel Parker) ; his stern butler, Ramsley (Terence Stamp) ; and two other servants who need some help breaking a curse.
SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
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