As expected, Haunted Mansion failed to make a splash at the box office by releasing in theaters during the summer months, but Disney seemed to have a smart reason for that specific release strategy. Even though 2003’s The Haunted Mansion didn’t leave a lasting mark, it did well at the box office, so it’s no surprise Disney revisited the idea of another movie based on the beloved theme park ride a few years later. While it took two decades for the reboot to happen, it had been in development since 2010, so expectations were high when the project came to fruition.
2023’s Haunted Mansion acquired a noteworthy cast with notable names like LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito, Tiffany Haddish, and Owen Wilson. Granted, even the stellar cast, creepy visual effects, and thrilling story weren’t enough to entice viewers. After a reported budget of over $150 million, Haunted Mansion became a box office flop, earning $66 million domestically and $109 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). The reviews for Haunted Mansion were relatively mixed, but the fact that Disney released a horror movie in July suggested the reboot was set up to fail. New streaming details, however, explain the summer release plan.
Haunted Mansion Is Coming To Disney+ To Launch The Halloween Season
After releasing in theaters in late July 2023, Haunted Mansion is set to hit Disney+ on October 4th, meaning the arrival comes less than 10 weeks following its theatrical release. To some, this may seem like Disney accepting their losses considering the box office failures, but moving Haunted Mansion to streaming in early October is actually genius. Debuting a horror movie at the beginning of October is the perfect way to launch the Halloween season of programming. In fact, Haunted Mansion‘s streaming arrival is the first highlight of Disney+’s “Hallowstream” event.
Haunted Mansion‘s Disney+ availability opens up another segment of potential viewers, especially those who prefer to watch new releases on streaming instead of visiting theaters. Having Haunted Mansion ready to stream in October to celebrate Halloween was undoubtedly a major factor in Disney’s summer theatrical release plan. So what was initially deemed a terrible decision now makes more sense if Disney was betting on Haunted Mansion garnering a bigger draw on streaming during the spookiest time of year. Disney, of course, wouldn’t have been able to share the October streaming plan from the beginning since it may have further affected box office potential.
How Haunted Mansion Could End Up Being A Hit For Disney
Even if Haunted Mansion is considered a flop for Disney, there’s still a chance the PG-13 movie could become a hit for the studio. In the ideal scenario, Haunted Mansion will become the latest recent release to hit blockbuster viewership. Aside from The Little Mermaid, which had impressive numbers when it arrived on Disney+, Pixar’s Elemental redeemed its box office flop label and broke viewership records for the streamer. While many lessons can be learned from Elemental‘s Disney+ success, the biggest takeaway is that movies that don’t do well in theaters can still be massive hits on streaming.
Haunted Mansion‘s box office issues will be hard to overcome, but viewership numbers are also critical in determining a movie’s success. October is a busy month for streaming releases, especially in the horror genre, but the availability on Disney+ at least gives the movie a chance at redemption. Just because there wasn’t much interest in the movie during the summer months, it doesn’t mean the movie doesn’t deserve attention at all. It will be interesting to see if a new Haunted Mansion movie could do well during the time of year when horror is fully embraced, justifying Disney’s plan all along, and affecting chances for Haunted Mansion 2.
