Over the years, several movies inspired by Disney’s theme park attractions have hit theaters. Among the best known of them is The Haunted Mansion, the 2003 production starring Eddie Murphy, that over time became a cult classic loved by audiences. Following the success of this supernatural horror comedy film over the years, there were plans to develop a remake that would originally involve none other than renowned director Guillermo del Toro. However, it took a long time for this project to finally see the light of day, but with Justin Simien as director. Thus, 20 years after the original film’s release Haunted Mansion hit theaters, this time featuring a star-studded cast made up of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Chase W. Dillon.
Haunted Mansion reintroduces Gracey Manor, the spooky house from the original film, but this time, it features a woman and her son as they try to turn it into a bed and breakfast. After they realize that the place is haunted by paranormal entities, they enlist the help of some experts to get rid of the ghosts, a task that proves harder than they expect. This movie premiered a few days after Barbie and Oppenheimer, the two most anticipated films of 2023, so its performance at the box office has not met expectations, and on top of that, it drew mixed reviews.
However, Haunted Mansion is a good choice for those who are looking for light entertainment that mixes humor with horror to be enjoyed by the whole family. If you liked Haunted Mansion, here are 15 other movies to watch next.
15 The Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion (2003) seems like an obvious choice, yet it’s a sure hit for those who enjoyed Haunted Mansion. The film that first adapted the story of the Disney ride to the silver screen is directed by Rob Minkoff, and in addition to Murphy, it features Terence Stamp, Wallace Shawn, Marsha Thomason, and Jennifer Tilly.
The film introduces Jim Evers, a workaholic real estate agent who refuses to spend quality time with his family. When they grow tired of his attitude, Jim organizes a vacation to prove that he can also rest and enjoy himself, although before reaching their destination he makes a stop at Gracey Manor, a mansion that he must put up for sale, unaware that the place harbors a dark curse that will leave everyone trapped in it.
14 Casper
1995 marked the release of Casper, a film that scored Brad Silberling’s directorial debut inspired by the cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost. In this production, a ghost therapist and his 13-year-old daughter Kat move to Whipstaff Manor to connect with the ghosts of the place in order to rid it of them. At the manor they meet Casper, a fun-loving ghost who will try his best to be their friend and protect them from the antics of his uncles, the Ghostly Trio.
Malachi Pearson voices the title character, while Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman lead the cast. The film’s popularity with audiences spurred the development of two sequels and a TV series.
13 Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a pretty self-explanatory choice when it comes to comedy movies involving paranormal entities. This 1984 production that follows a group of parapsychology professors in their adventures liberating New York City from ghosts became an absolute hit that kicked off a popular franchise that remains active to this day.
Ivan Reitman directs this classic film from a script by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, with the latter two starring alongside Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Ernie Hudson.
12 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo is among the most cherished cartoons in the history of television, so when it was brought to the silver screen in a live-action adaptation, audiences went wild. The Scooby-Doo film series starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, and Matthew Lillard is made up of two installments, and while they are both great titles to watch after Haunted Mansion, the closest to this Justin Simien production is Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, the 2004 film written by James Gunn and directed by Raja Gosnell. In it, Mystery Inc. must face a masked villain who wreaks havoc in Coolsville by recreating some of the most fearsome monsters ever faced by the gang.
11 Beetlejuice
1988 marked the release of Beetlejuice, a film that to this day remains among the most iconic features from renowned director Tim Burton. This production, which became a hit with both critics and audiences, features Barbara and Adam, a recently deceased couple whose quiet existence is disrupted when the Deetzes move into the couple’s former home.
Willing to get their place back, Barbara and Adam contact “bio-exorcist” Beetlejuice to scare off the new owners, unaware of the consequences this deal would have for everyone involved. Michael Keaton leads the cast of this classic film, joined by Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara and Jeffrey Jones.
10 Monster House
Monster House is a 2006 animated film that not only marked Gil Kenan’s directorial debut, but also became a nominee for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. This production, which features Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke, Steve Buscemi, and Maggie Gyllenhaal in the cast, follows DJ, Chowder and Jenny, three children who seem to be the only ones to realize that one of the houses in the neighborhood harbors a terrible secret, and when it breaks out on Halloween, it is up to them to bring the whole place down in order to save hundreds of innocent children from a fatal destiny.
9 The Addams Family
The Addams Family is another film on this list starring Christina Ricci, and it is the one that landed her one of her most iconic roles, Wednesday Addams. In this 1991 production she is joined by Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, and Jimmy Workman, all working directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.
The film is inspired by the popular cartoon family created by Charles Addams and, this time, they are visited by a man who claims to be Gomez’s long-lost brother, but has a ghoulish plan in mind. As a result of this production’s success, a sequel called Addams Family Values was released two years later, and although it was better reviewed than the original film, it was not such a hit at the box office.
8 Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus experienced something quite similar to The Haunted Mansion: this Kenny Ortega film wasn’t particularly successful back in 1993, but over the years, it became a cult classic enjoyed by millions of people every Halloween, which prompted the development of a sequel premiering last year on Disney+.
Hocus Pocus stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, three witches who, having spent many centuries dead for their crimes, are mistakenly brought back to life by a teenager on Halloween night and set out on a quest to become immortal before the sun rises again.
7 The Frighteners
The 1996 film The Frighteners follows Frank, an architect who, following his wife’s death, develops a special gift for sensing paranormal entities. Thus, he befriends three ghosts whom he sends to invade different houses, in order to swindle their owners by charging them to free the places from evil entities.
But things take a turn for the worse when this man and his three friends run into the ghost of a killer who seems to be attacking citizens, forcing them to go to great lengths to stop him. Michael J. Fox headlines this Peter Jackson production alongside Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin and Dee Wallace Stone. The Frighteners was well reviewed upon its release, and eventually became a cult classic.
6 The Witches
Anjelica Huston leads the cast of another successful comedy horror film of the 1990s: The Witches, a movie by Nicolas Roeg inspired by Roald Dahl’s book. This production features Luke, a young boy who, while staying with his grandmother at an English hotel, discovers a witches’ convention taking place there in which they are planning to turn all the children in the world into mice, so he sets out on the challenging and hazardous task of thwarting their plans.
Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher and Rowan Atkinson join Huston in the cast of this film that proved to be a hit with critics and was also warmly received by audiences. A second film adaptation of Dahl’s story was released in 2020, starring Anne Hathaway, although this one did not enjoy the acclaim of the original movie.
5 Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is one of the many collaborations between actor Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton, and hit theaters in May 2012. In this production, the actor plays Barnabas Collins, an 18th-Century man in control of the town of Collinsport who, after angering a witch, is transformed into a vampire and buried alive.
Two centuries after these events, Barnabas is inadvertently released and forced to adapt to the 1970s, a very different era in which his once prestigious town is no longer as it was. Joining Depp in this production are Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, and Chloë Grace Moretz.
4 The House with a Clock in Its Walls
The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a 2018 film directed by Eli Roth based on John Bellairs novel of the same name. It stars Owen Vaccaro, Jack Black, and Cate Blanchett, and it introduces Lewis, a boy who moves into his Uncle Jonathan’s weird old house after losing his parents in an accident. It doesn’t take long for the boy to discover that both the house and his uncle hold many secrets, and that drives him to launch an investigation that will awaken forces far more powerful than what he can handle.
3 The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is the oldest film on this list, and an excellent choice for those who enjoy old-time productions. It was released in 1966 with Alan Rafkin directing and Don Knotts playing the lead role. In it, Knotts portrays Luther, an aspiring reporter who is offered a chance that could change the course of his career: writing a story about a local haunted mansion. However, to get the job done, he must spend a night in the said house, which is rumored to be run by paranormal entities unfriendly to those who disturb their peace.
2 Haunted Honeymoon
Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner lead Haunted Honeymoon as Larry Abbot and Vickie Pearle, a couple of radio personalities who star in a mystery show and have just announced their marriage. Since the announcement went public, the man is having major speech problems that make him very nervous, which hampers his job.
His uncle, a psychiatrist who is convinced that these issues are caused by built-up fears, suggests he undergo shock therapy over a weekend that the couple will spend at Abbot Manor, an approach that could be even worse than the actual condition. Besides starring in this 1986 film, Wilder serves as director and co-writer along with Terence Marsh.
1 The Little Vampire
Rounding out this list is The Little Vampire, a 2000 film directed by Uli Edel based on Angela Sommer-Bodenburg’s book series of the same name. It stars Jonathan Lipnicki as Tony, a boy who has recently moved from California to Scotland and is struggling to adapt to his new home and school. Eventually, Tony meets a young vampire named Rudolph with whom he quickly strikes up a bond, and when the fate of his new friend and his family is threatened by a fearful vampire hunter, he will do his best to prove his loyalty and help them escape unharmed.
Joining Lipnicki in the cast of this family movie are Rollo Weeks, Richard E. Grant, Jim Carter, and Alice Krige.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
