GUILLERMO DEL TORO RIGHTS EDDIE MURPHY'S WRONGS

This news gave my heart a boner.

I never saw the Murphy embarrassment because it just seemed to have its head in the wrong place. GDT is the perfect person to take the tone of the ride and craft an original story from it.

Writing and producing? So, who's directing? Mr. Nixey by chance?

I love the idea of GDT scaring the crap out of children.

While I'd still prefer him to play in his own sandbox, this does sound quite awesome. Dare we hope for Ron Perlman as The Ghost Host?

Screw this. GdT's best films speak to the human condition... fuck a Haunted Mansion movie.

I would be incredibly surprised if his voice isn't SOMEWHERE in the film.

You're right, ghost movies never speak to the human condition.

The Hatbox Ghost has to be Doug Jones, right?

That's probably going to be his biggest character, so I would imagine so.

People seem to forget that, even if GdT doesn't direct (which I'm guessing he probably will), his producing record is fucking great. The Orphanage, etc. All good films. He loves this property more than anything. He first rode the ride when he was 3 and owns tons of memorabilia. As a Haunted Mansion lover myself, I'm psyched.

Putting aside for one moment the Disney brand, the Eddie Murphy 'legacy' and all other hoo-hah for a moment, let us focus on one important and freakin' joyous aspect of this story.

It's Guillermo Del Toro making a goddamn haunted house movie.

Seriously, how can you not be jazzed about that?

This is my most favorite post ever.

I loved The Haunted Mansion. Probably my favorite part about visiting Disney World. If anyone can make a decent movie out it has to be GDT.

I love that he said he rides it to get shit off his mind. It is a great ride, too, maybe second to Space Mountain. Probably rode it six times last time I was at Disney.

For crying out loud, DelToro is the new Spielberg. He's attached to like 500 projects in some fashion. Has he actually picked what his next project is going to be, or is he just waiting to get enough lined up, put them on a dartboard and let fate decide?

Del Toro is that rare filmmaker that, no matter what projects he becomes attached to (or how many), I know he is always going to do what he wants to do. And the results are always good.

Let's hope he becomes the Spielberg from the 80's while he's at it, and the 10's become an amazing decade of exec produced GDT films.

Man. Writing the "10's" felt so weird. That just looks wrong. We've traveled back in time! Aaaahhh!

That's so great in so many ways.

Absolutely let's waste Del Toro on this. In fact, let's also get Terrence Malick to do a movie based on the Captain Crunch brand and hell... I loved Ticonderoga #2 pencils in my youth: is Lynch signed on to anything right now?

Oh, fuck you Bruce. To think this is a waste of Del Toro's talents is retarded. I can't comprehend how some people aren't excited by the prospect of a Del Toro haunted house movie. You'd have to be insane.

He hates Disney.

What's worse than rebooting a failed comic book movie franchise that's only a few years old? Rebooting a failed amusement park movie franchise that's only a few years old.

There's gold in them hills. I'm all for them giving this another go. This would make for a great Halloween release.

I will reserve judgement on this announcement. I'm positive it's gonna be in 3D. Still, could be highly entertaining. Almost as entertaining as Terrence Malick directing a Boo Berry movie that speaks to the human propensity for indiscriminate violence against his own grain-based existence.

ETA: solemnly shifting waves of grass!

Why are you completely ignoring the obvious critical and commercial success of Curse Of The Black Pearl? Not to mention Del Toro's proven talent for the ghost story genre as seen in the Devils Backbone? If you don't like the idea that's all fine and good, but don't try and make a point that there isn't potential here, or dots to connect, because you're just being silly.

They announced it as The Haunted Mansion 3D. This thing better fucking play Grim Grinning Ghosts over the credits. The original.

Of all the creative people they could have chosen for this movie, of the the projects GDT could have chosen, this is what comes together? HOO. FRIGGING. YAY. GDT is making a dream project for him, becoming involved with one of the things that inspires him greatly. And we get to reap the benefits. I'm excited. I want to see what happens.

I have to admit, I'm finding it a little weird that you all are so excited for this. I love GTD as much as the next chud poster, but I'd much rather see his efforts go towards something original or, let's face it, more cool than another Haunted Mansion movie. I just view it as GDT having been assigned a limited total number of creative outputs in his lifetime, and I'd rather other stuff get priority over this.

I should clarify that I see the huge potential for fun with this movie. I absolutely get that, understand why people would be excited, and would personally watch the hell out of it.

My point is that this movie has about a 99% chance of being empty calories, exactly like CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL. Which is a fun movie that I coincidentally like. But if GdT is going to make films, I would much prefer he make films of substance, especially considering that his films of substance are pretty goddamn exceptional. Let other people make these confections.

And the idea that it would have anything, *anything* in common with DEVIL'S BACKBONE because both have ghosts is ridiculous. That's like saying CITIZEN KANE had a mansion, and this movie will have a mansion in the title, therefore shut up man! These posts trying to counter my point with the whole 'ghost' thing make me wonder if you guys have actually seen the Haunted Mansion ride. Tonally it's like, well, Pirates of the Caribbean. And of course Disney is going to require the film's tone to match.

But I really don't want to rain on anyone's parade. It's cool, last post. Verbinski and Depp created a character so compelling that it got added to the Disney pantheon, which was not an insignificant accomplishment. So let's hope GdT does something equally as interesting, plus gets to make a pile of money. And I didn't realize he had a deep personal connection to the ride, so that's nice that he'll get to play in that sandbox.

Well, on my end, I'm a massive Disney fanboy. To see GDT come in and work on something like this - something that is a huge part of my childhood, adolescence and adulthood, it's very exciting. I think that if Disney is bringing on someone like GDT, they are looking to make something special. And I think GDT will bring a quality product that matches well the ride's legacy of spooky and amusing.

Bah. Why can't Del Toro turn towards all those other, far more fascinating projects on his plate? Y'know, stuff like FRANKENSTEIN, DROOD, SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE...

So, either you're a fan of hyperbole, didn't read the article or you're back peddling? Which is it?

I don't care how they do it, but it better look like a ghost is sitting in my lap at the end of the movie.

This sounds like fun to me.

You already have a ghost in your lap.

I kind of hope he's producing this and not directing. I have to say, this is about 180 degrees away from what I imagined when he left The Hobbit and tried to console myself with, "well, now he'll be able to move on to more of his passion projects that he's talked about."

That said, it's GdT so... if he wants to, I'll roll with it and hope for awesome.

This is disappointing considering what other projects he's got to work on. Bummer.

Hollywood's current climate practically guarantees that Del Toro's more personal projects will not be financed unless/until he's established himself as a brand that will draw enough peepers to justify the cost on something like Drood. That project would have been The Hobbit, but that's done now. So, what can he do instead to "build his brand"? Extend the already-existing partnership with Disney and create a blockbuster based on one of their franchises - one that dovetails perfectly with his Gothic interests.

Making Haunted Mansion, if successful, will give Del Toro more freedom, both artistic and financial.

That's my off-the-cuff opinion anyway.

I've always loved the Haunted Mansion, but don't recognize the Hatbox Ghost at all. Is he only in the California version of the ride? Was he added more recently than not? Or am I just older and more senile than I remember?

I don't think a writing/producing gig will have anyone that much more eager to finance an expensive, challenging movie.

At any rate, the silver lining for now is he might not direct.

It will if it's successful. He's building a long-term relationship with Disney here.

I'm glad you guys are happy but this is not the GDT announcement I was hoping for.

Agreed. I have no doubt Del Toro can make a entertaining film out of this, but it's like Beethoven agreeing to do a jingle for a TV commericial.
Damn it, GDT stop taking about how great "At The Mountains Of Madness" is going to be and MAKE IT for Chthulu's sake.

Because this job, this one LAST job gets him home... To the Mountains Of Madness. It's all that matters to him.