Disney’s Haunted Mansion is just weeks away, and it’s now time for us foolish mortals to meet the characters we’re about to encounter behind this frightfully fun and new adventure. Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, the film is directed by Justin Simien, a former Disneyland Park cast member. The movie follows Gabbie (played by Rosario Dawson) and her son Travis (played by Chase W. Dillon) as they enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their New Orleans home of supernatural squatters.
Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and Travis (Chase W. Dillon)
Gabbie is a smart, accomplished physician and mother with a young son, Travis, who sets out hoping for a fresh start in a sprawling antebellum home in New Orleans. With the best intentions, she promises Travis—who’s been having trouble making friends at school—a new adventure… which takes a decidedly unexpected turn.
When asked what she loves about Gabbie, Dawson said that “this is someone very capable, very educated, who has the imagination and means to follow through on this big idea to buy a mansion. She’s a single mom who is really showing up for her kid with passion and integrity and is fully focused on thriving. At the end of the day, even when the times are tough, Gabbie’s got this tenacity that I really love that just belies circumstance. There’s just gumption to her that is a good rallying cry to the others, and it ends up bonding them as this chosen family unit.”
Father Kent (Owen Wilson)
Father Kent is the first person Gabbie turns to when she discovers her new home is haunted. Despite his positive, optimistic outlook on life and his ecumenical garb, his “hipster” demeanor and odd comments seem, well, out of place for a clergyman.
“He’s definitely not your typical priest,” admits Wilson. “You don’t see a lot of priests running around with a hatchet. He has a very casual approach to matters of faith and specializes in exorcisms. He’s kind of a trailblazer in the field, and the skill set that he offers is unique. I don’t know if there’s another priest like him in Louisiana.”
Ben (LaKeith Stanfield)
Ben is a scientist who specializes in paranormal activities, but also happens to be at an existential crossroads. And despite his training in paranormal activity, he doesn’t believe that the mansion is really haunted by ghosts. However, when Father Kent requests his assistance, he only agrees once payment is offered, thinking there’s easy money to be made.
Stanfield said that “the characters are going through some deep things. When you find my character, Ben, at the beginning of the story, he’s down on his luck, drinks too much, all while grieving the loss of his wife who has recently passed away. So, he’s trying to find answers to these unanswerable questions and has pretty much gotten to the point in life where he’s given up.”
Harriet (Tiffany Haddish)
Harriet is an eccentric French Quarter psychic who discovers that her supernatural gifts may be stronger than she ever imagined once she confronts the powerful energy swirling inside the mansion. Despite her appearance as a storefront amateur working the tourists on Bourbon Street, Harriet’s psychic lineage runs deep. Even though she has yet to truly master the art of the occult despite years of questioning her lack of ability, she masks her fear of failure with a hustler’s charm.
“Harriet’s very eclectic, and her look is exotic yet refined,” admits Haddish. “She has these nails and this head wrap and these layers of clothes. Harriet likes layers. She’s like an onion, you gotta peel away at her… I’ve done my research, and I know Harriet through and through. So, when I say there’s really spirits out here, there’s spirits out here. I’m definitely taking it up a level or two and raising the bar when it comes to this character and capturing the essence of New Orleans.”
Professor Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito)
Gruff and a bit cantankerous, Professor Davis works at Tulane University and has delved into the science behind supernatural occurrences—such as spirits inhabiting physical spaces in the real world. One day, in his classroom, he’s presented with a surprising opportunity: Several strangers appear to know the whereabouts of the Haunted Mansion, which—despite endless searches and a lot of research—he’s never been able to find. Does he dare follow their lead?
“I jumped at the chance to play the part of Bruce because of our director Justin Simien,” explains DeVito. “I’ve seen his other movies, and I love his style—funny but real—and I was really looking forward to seeing how he was going to handle this material. I think he did a great job. There’s definitely the reverence for the ride, which is really good because he included the whole feeling of the ride—but he added his own take on it, which has to do with humanity and humor and characters that you can invest in.”
Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis)
As Gabbie, Travis, and their new friends investigate the mansion, they stumble upon a trunk in the attic that contains a crystal ball. The trunk turns out to be the “home” of one of the most memorable characters in the theme park attraction: Madame Leota. Filmmakers reconceived her as an ancient psychic whose mysterious disappearance has never been solved, giving her an elaborate backstory as an Eastern European gypsy with unparalleled abilities as a medium—coupled with a penchant for salesmanship. She’s also Harriet’s personal hero!
Curtis says, “Madame Leota is the mystery date of the movie. She is the unknown entity. She is the woman behind the crystal ball. We’ve seen her on the ride, but we don’t know why she’s in the ball. How’d she get there? Is she trapped in the ball, or does she like it there? Is it something she’s happy about or frustrated about? What’s fun about the movie is we get to explore that because she’s needed to help answer some questions about what’s going on in the Haunted Mansion… You can only imagine the joy that I expressed when my agents called me and said that they wanted me to play Madame Leota. I was born and raised in California, raised my kids here, and have probably been on that ride 25 times in my life. It was an immediate thrill.”
The Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto)
Although most of the ghosts of the Haunted Mansion are satisfied with their existence—and are fairly benign—there are a few malevolent entities who threaten to upset the balance of power and wreak havoc on all who enter. One in particular is the Hatbox Ghost, based on a character that appears in the theme park attraction. A cloaked aristocratic spirit whose menacing demeanor, headless form, and mysterious hatbox sends the other ghosts in the mansion scattering, the Hatbox Ghost has an especially intense fixation on the house’s new residents… with ulterior motives that could trap them in the house forever.
Director Simien explains, “What’s funny about Jared is you would never know it’s Jared Leto playing the Hatbox Ghost unless someone told you. Even then, he put so much work into the character and so much thought into every choice that he makes. We worked a really long time to find things like the accent and his backstory and why he walks this way versus that way… I really believe the fans are going to feel like we did him justice and really rounded out his unworldly character—and grounded him in something that really feels real.
So now that we’ve met the characters from Haunted Mansion, it’s now time to wait until the movie materializes on July 28 only in theatres.
