Years after being announced, it sounds as if there’s finally movement on Disney’s second attempt at Haunted Mansion, the feature film based on the super fun dark ride at the Disney parks.
Just as his directorial debut Lost River hits theaters this weekend, Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling is in talks to star in Guillermo del Toro‘s Haunted Mansion, says TheWrap.
Interestedly, the site says that Gosling and del Toro have developed a close friendship of late, with the Mexican filmmaker moderating a panel with Gosling at SXSW last month to discuss the making of “Lost River.” The duo were also photographed together at Disneyland over Oscar weekend, where they rode the Haunted Mansion ride in addition to Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
Haunted Mansion has been in development at Disney for several years, as the project was first announced at Comic-Con in July 2010.
D.V. DeVincentis (High Fidelity) is currently working on the script for the supernatural family film.
The last we heard, del Toro was having problems “cracking” the screenplay.
Since August 1969, foolish mortals have dared to trespass on the macabre grounds of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. A hallowed landmark in Disneyland’s New Orleans square, it’s the dwelling place of 999 happy haunts dying to meet new visitors each day. The plantation-style of the mansion’s facade is a sweet deception for visitors. Inside, ghostly doom buggies line the hallways. Since its construction, the mysteries of the mansion have transcended the attraction with stories surfacing about horrifying encounters with the supernatural. Versions of the daunting edifice have been built at other Disney theme parks in Orlando, Tokyo and Paris.