“You meet it through the eyes of a new cast exploring the lore along with you.”
That’s the candy.
They start to figure out exactly who it is that’s after them and who’s with them.

The stretching room in Justin Simien’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ movie.Disney
The other thing was about how do we make it cinematic?
“We don’t do it any short shrift,” he teases.
“I promise you that.”

Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ organist.Disney
“The script firmly plants it in the New Orleans mansion.
That’s how specific we were.
“There’s a lot of Black people in New Orleans.

Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride and Justin Simien’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ movie.Walter Leporati/Getty Images; Disney
Let’s embrace the New Orleans of it all.
It’s about death, but the plates are always thrown up.”
Jared Leto as Hatbox Ghost
“It’s very surprising.

Jared Leto as Hatbox Ghost in ‘Haunted Mansion’.MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images; Walt Disney Studios
The fan-favorite character exists only in Disneyland’s version of the ride.
His head disappears from his shoulders and re-appears inside a box in his hand.
“It’s part digital, part physical performance.

Hitchhiking ghosts in ‘Haunted Mansion’ trailer.Disney
He knocked it out of the park, he’s very menacing and terrifying.”
“A lot of that is voice performance,” Simien continues.
“A lot of that is voice capture.

Floating candelabra in ‘Haunted Mansion’.Walt Disney Studios
Hitchhiking ghosts, a floating candelabra, and a doom buggy!
Thenew trailerforHaunted Mansionintroduces even more gleeful terror inspired by the rides.
But Curtis brought something surprising to the table, too.

Tiffany Haddish rides a ‘Doom Buggy’ in ‘Haunted Mansion’.Walt Disney Studios
“Madame Leota is the great expert,” he says.
Simien gives the award for most surprising duo to Curtis and Tiffany Haddish.
“Tiffany Haddish plays this modern-day New Orleans medium who’s on Craigslist,” he says.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota in ‘Haunted Mansion.'.Disney
“There are a few moments between the two that are chef’s kiss.”