Justin Simien, the director of the Dear White People film and subsequent Netflix series of the same name, has been recruited by Disney to direct remake of The Haunted Mansion according to Deadline. Simien recently directed the Hulu horror-comedy, Bad Hair.
The film takes inspiration from Disney World’s Haunted Mansion theme park ride, which originally opened in 1969. In 2003 an adaptation starring Eddie Murphy released, but the film wasn’t the box office bombshell that most Disney films tend to be.
The most recent draft of the new film’s script was handled by Parks and Recreation writer, Katie Dippold. She also wrote Paul Feig’s 2013 action-comedy, The Heat, as well as his 2016 Ghostbusters live-action reboot.
Simien’s 2014 film Dear White People was well received by critics and audiences and quickly made him a filmmaker to watch. The film starred Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson and Kyle Gallner. The Netflix series based on the original film aired from 2017 to 2019, and also earned high praise from critics.
The director’s 2020 film, Bad Hair, starred Elle Lorraine, Jay Pharoah, Lena Waithe, Kelly Rowland and Laverne Cox. It’s reception was a bit more mixed than Simien’s previous works, but it seems to have proved the director’s ability to work in the horror genre.
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