Haunted Mansion: release date, trailer, cast, plot and everything we know about the movie

Danny DeVito, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson and LaKeith Stanfield in Haunted Mansion
Danny DeVito, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson and LaKeith Stanfield in Haunted Mansion (Image credit: Disney)

It looks like Walt Disney is going to have quite the year in theaters with a number of high-profile releases including Haunted Mansion. The movie joins the ranks of The Little Mermaid, Elemental and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, as much-talked-about new movies of 2023

Now what makes Haunted Mansion stand out from its counterparts this summer, is the movie draws its plot inspiration from a ride at the famous Disney amusement parks. 

In What to Watch's review, we called it "an effective, spooky nostalgia trip for Disney lovers".

So what else should you know about the movie ahead of its release? Here's everything we know about Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion release date

Haunted Mansion premieres in the US exclusively in theaters on Friday, July 28. 

UK would-be viewers will have to wait a little longer, as the film doesn't premiere in cinemas in the country until Friday, August 11. 

Haunted Mansion trailer

On May 16, Walt Disney Studios released the official trailer for the film. We have to say, the video clip leads us to believe the movie may be as thrilling as the actual ride. 

Check out the Haunted Mansion teaser trailer posted on March 2 featuring some big names in Hollywood. 

Haunted Mansion plot

Here is the official brief synopsis of Haunted Mansion

"Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, Haunted Mansion is about a woman (Rosario Dawson) and her son (Chase Dillon) who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters." 

Now for those who aren't as familiar, the Haunted Mansion ride first opened at Disneyland in 1969, and since then has popped up at four other Disney properties. The park attraction takes riders on Doom Buggies through a haunted New Orleans-inspired mansion, as special effects provide thrills and pure amusement. Take a look at the video of the ride below. 

Haunted Mansion cast

Haunted Mansion is truly comprised of an all-star cast. At the heart of the movie as the mother named Gabbie is Rosario Dawson. Dawson has starred in a number of projects over the years, including Rent, Dopesick, Daredevil and Luke Cage. More recently, she was spotted in DMZ and Clerks III

Starring alongside Dawson in Haunted Mansion is Oscar-nominated actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Throughout the decades, Curtis has been seen in some classic films including Trading Place, True Lies and the Halloween movie franchise. She recently has received much critical acclaim for her role as Deirdre in Everything Everywhere All at Once

Rounding out the esteemed cast are the following: 

Haunted Mansion director

Justin Simien is behind the lens of Haunted Mansion. This is certainly not Simien's first foray behind the camera, as he's directed Bad Hair, Dear White People the movie and Dear White People the Netflix series. Just to note, as it pertains to the latter three projects, he is also credited as a writer.  

Terrell Smith

Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities.  When he’s not writing as Terrell, he’s writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Some of his favorite shows include The CrownWandaVision, Abbot Elementary and Godfather of HarlemAnd a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC 90 Day Fiancé universe.