The hype behind "Haunted Mansion" was pretty convincing before it flopped at the box office.
Is it actually bad?
Or is there more to the story?
A "Haunted Mansion" film should, in theory, be the perfect cinematic outing for any family
eager to occupy their time for two hours.
Disney previously adapted "Haunted Mansion" with Eddie Murphy back in 2003.
While Murphy's collab with Disney was a critical misfire, it was a mild success at the box
office, proving that it was an IP worth revisiting.
With the 2023 film, Disney and director Justin Simien had the opportunity to learn from the
2003 film's missteps.
Notably, they could have paid attention to how the Murphy film attempted to be both a
comedy and horror project, but failed to succeed on either front.
History clearly repeats itself, as contemporary audiences had the same issues with the 2023
film.
Looper critic Cynthia Vinney was mixed on the reboot, criticizing it for having a lackluster
plot and not doubling down on either horror or comedy.
Several critics agreed with this sentiment, calling the film out for its genre inconsistencies.
Paying audience members also felt the same way, giving the film a B+ CinemaScore — which
is a pretty decent grade generally speaking, but not for what should have been a crowd-pleasing
flick.
The film failed to engage audiences in any kind of meaningful way, which led to poor
word of mouth.
Naturally, the film cratered in its sophomore weekend, suffering a 62% drop with a $9 million
gross.
Filmmakers have always blended horror and comedy together to create timeless projects.
The fusion of the genres has resulted in some of the greatest films of all time, like "Ghostbusters"
and "Beetlejuice."
"You know what's really beautiful about this: you two kids picked me.
You didn't have to, but you picked me.
It makes me want to kiss you guys.
Come on!"
"No!"
The blend equally works well with children's films, with projects like 2015's "Goosebumps"
and Eli Roth's "The House with a Clock in Its Walls" proving to be both financial successes
and favorites amongst children.
Why did the 2023 "Haunted Mansion" stumble, despite being a key part of the world's most
recognizable brand?
It simply didn't appeal to audiences.
While initial reactions to the "Haunted Mansion" trailers were positive, especially amongst
fans of the ride, Disney wasn't able to sustain positive momentum, thanks in part to the SAG-AFTRA
strike.
The on-going strike prohibits actors from promoting their films in any and all capacity.
Unfortunately for "Haunted Mansion," its release coincided with the strike, restricting stars
like LaKeith Stanfield and Rosario Dawson from discussing the film at press junkets
or on talk shows, limiting the project's ability to break out.
With little to no promotion, "Haunted Mansion" was set to be a disappointment.
With no stars to rely on, director Justin Simien was thrust into the position of promoting
the film solo.
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Simien expressed that no promotion from its
leading stars would have a "pretty dramatic" impact on the film.
Simien told the publication,
"It's not a sequel to that first movie or a remake.
It's not building on an existing audience.
We need publicity.
We need word-of-mouth.
This is going to hurt it."
It makes sense why Disney decided to release "Haunted Mansion" during the middle of the
summer.
Kids are out of school, which means families are incentivized to kill time at the cinemas.
While the box office hasn't fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, families are showing
up to cinemas in droves, with several of the year's biggest hits being kid-centric and
family-friendly projects.
So far, the highest-grossing film of the year is "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," with a domestic
gross of $574 million.
Other noteworthy hits include the animated "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and
Disney's "The Little Mermaid."
Clearly, families and children are enjoying their return back to the cinemas.
"You can't live in that world unless you become a human yourself."
But with so much competition at the multiplex, it was difficult for "Haunted Mansion" to
break out thanks to its misguided July 28 release.
The film opened at number three, just behind the juggernauts "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer."
While "Haunted Mansion" isn't in competition with the R-rated "Oppenheimer," it did likely
face some strife from "Barbie," which has grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
Both "Barbie" and Haunted Mansion" are PG-13 and appeal to families and teenagers.
Seeing as "Barbie" was able to promote itself prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike and was the
recipient of thousands of memes, it stands to reason that the film was far more appealing
to audiences.
Beyond that, "Haunted Mansion" released during a month where there were far more superior
horror films for viewers to visit.
The film's debut coincided with the release of A24's "Talk to Me," which opened to $10
million.
In its second weekend, "Haunted Mansion" was eclipsed by the family-friendly "Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," a film that has already outgrossed the spooky Disney flick.
"This place is haunted!"
Even with a more promising release date and promotions from its leading stars, there's
still a chance that "Haunted Mansion" would have bombed at the box office.
Despite mixed reviews, the film could have genuinely succeeded, if not for its bloated
budget.
It's somewhat mind-boggling to see that "Haunted Mansion" boasts a budget of $150 million.
Budgets that soar north of $100 million are typically reserved for large-scale action
blockbusters, such as superhero fare, or projects that already have a built-in brand.
While "Haunted Mansion" is definitely an IP-play for Disney, it also doesn't have the same
cultural weight and finesse as their other multimedia brands like "Star Wars" or Marvel.
"I can show you what happened, but it will cost you."
For a film with a budget of $150 million, "Haunted Mansion" would need to make a significant
chunk of change to be considered profitable.
And unlike the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, which has widespread appeal as an
action-adventure franchise, "Haunted Mansion" is bogged down because of its horror genre.
Only one horror film this year, "Scream VI," has grossed over $100 million domestically,
meaning that the genre still has its limits in terms of potential.
Sure, "Haunted Mansion" isn't a pure horror film, and has comedic elements, but it's clearly
being dragged down by its subject matter.