On the first day of Comic-Con International in San Diego, the largest fanboy/fangirl convention of its kind on the planet, Guillermo Del Toro and Disney managed to drop a bombshell that has sent shockwaves throughout the blogosphere: Del Toro will be producing and co-writing an adaptation of The Haunted Mansion, which, according to Del Toro will be a 'live-action, 3-D film.' The new film is based on Disney's popular amusement park attraction that boasts '999 happy haunts' and the 2003 movie of the same name that stared Eddie Murphy.
|
 Guillermo Del Toro discusses THE HAUNTED HOUSE as Patton Oswalt takes it in. [AICN] |
The stunner came at the tail-end of the TRON: Legacy panel when moderator Patton Oswalt introduced Del Toro. A short teaser played showing an "HM" anagram/crest, accompanied by a basso-profundo voice-over (a la Paul Frees) that issued the following dire warning:
"Consider this dismaying observation: this chamber has no windows and no doors. Which offers you this chilling challenge -- to find a way out. Of course, there's always my way..."
The VO is followed by a woman's blood-curdling scream and narrator's maniacal laugh. Fans of the Disneyland attraction will recount this as the Ghost Host's memorable greeting after patrons are ushered into the infamous Portrait Gallery (aka the 'Stretching Room').
Wanting to quickly dispel any notion up front that his adaptation would echo its predecessor's comedic slant, Del Toro promised that audiences would find the mansion recasted as the scariest place on earth. "If you take the children, they will scream," he said. To further underscore the point, Del Toro added: "We are not returning Eddie Murphy's Calls."
Guillermo also added that in his version The Hatbox Ghost will return as a prime element of the film. The Hatbox Ghost character, traditionally depicted carrying a severed head in a basket, appeared in Disneyland's original haunted attraction but was inexplicably removed shortly after it opened in 1969. Even though the figure has been missing from the venue for over 40 years - it has remained so linked to its mythology that fans have created several websites over the years in its honor, including a petition to revive the figure, and Facebook fan page. The inclusion of The Hatbox Ghost by Del Toro has already reverberated positively throughout the geekdom universe and has fans positing the question "Does this now make it '1000 happy haunts?'"
 |
 |
The Haunted Mansion anagram/crest. Disney |
|
Despite the shadow of questions hanging over him since his sudden departure in May from the multi-part, epic prequel to the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, THE HOBBIT, due to numerous scheduling conflicts, Del Toro sounded jubilant about the prospect of this new project:
“I couldn't be more excited to be a part of my own adaptation of the original theme park attraction Walt envisioned and that remains - for me - the most desirable piece of real estate in the whole world!” Guillermo also added that he has been a life-long fan of the theme park and that he's made an annual pilgrimage ever since he first visited the attraction at the age of 3.
Walt Disney Studios also had reason to sound optimistic given the early Halloween present:
“Millions of people from around the world visit The Haunted Mansion each year, but no one has ever had a tour guide like Guillermo del Toro,” said chairman Rich Ross in a statement released after the announcement. “Guillermo is one of the most gifted and innovative filmmakers working today and he is going to take audiences on a visually thrilling journey like they've never experienced before.” Disney, however, stated that Del Toro is only onboard to produce and co-write the adaptation at this point. Too bad :(
Several entertainment news and fan blogs erroneously concluded that Del Toro was already set to helm the project. A close inside source has relayed to us that he's actually prepping his own BIG announcement on his next directorial endeavor in a weeks time. Look for the news here on LATIN HORROR!
Known as an avid, world-class collector of horror/monster memorabilia and artwork, Del Toro closed out the announcement by forewarning his project employers: "This is a dream come true, and I hope to steal as many props as possible."
And since we can dream, it's interesting to speculate about how Del Toro would have handled the material if he were indeed signed on to direct and how he'd strike a balance in bringing the 999 frights to life. Since the mansion's theme park illusions are mostly created via low-tech analog effects such as mirrors -- one has to wonder if he would have utilized traditional mechanical methods, or more modern, cutting-edge CGR wizardry, or a mix of both? Anyone willing to hedge 'what if' bets?
Comic-con International continues through July 25th.
http://www.comic-con.org
Edwin Pagán, LH
