Here's When Can You Watch Disney's Haunted Mansion At Home [Updated]
Soon, fans of the Haunted Mansion won't have to take a trip to Disneyland to experience a scary ride. During the Walt Disney Studios Showcase, a presentation at this year's Destination D23, it was revealed that "Haunted Mansion" will soon be coming to home media beginning on October 4.
"Haunted Mansion" is based on the eponymous theme park ride, a staple of Disneyland since 1969. The film, directed by Justin Simien ("Dear White People"), features single mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) moving into the haunted Gracey Manor in New Orleans with her son. Soon, they run afoul of the ghosts, such as the Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto) and the decapitated Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis), now imprisoned in a crystal ball. So, they recruit a team of priests, academics, and psychics (LaKeith Stanfield, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, and Tiffany Haddish) to exorcise the Manor.
"Haunted Mansion" coming to home media in October sounds like Disney learning its lesson from releasing the film theatrically in July. Thanks to that release date — and plenty of other factors — "Haunted Mansion" bombed, taking in only $101 million on a $150+ million budget. Critics weren't too happy with it either, but check out /Film's own review for a second opinion.
Haunted Mansion is coming to Disney+, but not as an exclusive
As announced at Destination D23 and later confirmed via a press release and social media, "Haunted Mansion" will be streaming on Disney+ from October 4. Disney+ Basic costs $1.99 for your first three months of subscription (at least through September 20), then goes up to $7.99.
If you don't have Disney+ (or are scared that "Haunted Mansion" will be pulled without warning by the end of the year for a tax write-down), have no fear. "Haunted Mansion" will also be available to buy or rent from "all major digital retailers" — including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. Digital purchases of the film also come with "exclusive behind-the-scenes bonus content," including deleted scenes, featurettes, and an extended gag reel. The exact prices for "Haunted Mansion" on these digital platforms are not listed.
The D23 presentation also mentioned that a physical release of "Haunted Mansion" will be coming later in October 2023, and a subsequent press release has confirmed that the film will be arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 17.
What movies to watch before Haunted Mansion
"Haunted Mansion" is not part of an ongoing story, so no worries about needing to play catch-up before you watch it. However, it is part of the history of Disney turning its theme park rides into motion picture attractions. For starters, there was a previous adaptation back in 2003, "The Haunted Mansion" starring Eddie Murphy. In 2021, there was also a 50-minute special starring the Muppets, "Muppets Haunted Mansion." Both of these films are streaming on Disney+.
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise is definitely Disney's most successful attempt to make movies out of theme park rides. The sequels have a mixed reputation (I say they're good until director Gore Verbinski's departure after the third movie, "At World's End"), but the original "Curse of the Black Pearl" is a classic. Another attempt at capturing this magic was 2021's "Jungle Cruise," an adventure film in the vein of "Pirates" starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. All of these films are streaming on Disney+.
If you want films that are merely stylistically similar to "Haunted Mansion," you're in luck. Take 1995's "Casper," based on the ghostly Harvey Comics character. The film stars a young Christina Ricci as Kat, the daughter of a "ghost therapist" who moves into Whipstaff Manor and hits it off with the eponymous Friendly Ghost. "Casper" is available to stream on Tubi and Peacock and rent on YouTube and Prime Video.