Jamie Lee Curtis, Tiffany Haddish bring big laughs, big nostalgia in 'Haunted Mansion'

Wednesday, July 26, 2023
NEW ORLEANS (WPVI) -- If you've been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World, you've probably ridden on a Doom Buggy inside the "Haunted Mansion." Walt Disney himself had a hand in creating those 999 Happy Haunts.

And the cast of the new live-action film inspired by the famous ride is truly a "who's who" in Hollywood.
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It includes Jamie Lee Curtis, who just won her first Oscar this year, and Tiffany Haddish. They both say they grew up going on this ride, so this has all been a bit surreal.

Jamie Lee Curtis is "Madame Leota," the spirit of a psychic medium, who appears as a disembodied head inside a crystal ball.

"I remember being a little kid seeing her inside that crystal ball," Curtis says. "For me, this was a no-brainer. I was thrilled."

WATCH: Jamie Lee Curtis, Tiffany Haddish bring special brand of comedy skills to Disney's 'Haunted Mansion'
Jamie Lee Curtis, Tiffany Haddish bring special brand of comedy skills to Disney's 'Haunted Mansion'


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Tiffany Haddish is Harriet, a psychic who is called in to get the haunts out of this haunted mansion.



"What I loved most about this was when we first came on the set, I was like, 'Oh my! Look at this! Look at that!'" Haddish recalls. "I'm like, 'Yo, how did y'all do this magic?"

The ensemble cast really gels and they had a lot of hard laughs, but the film is also deeply emotional.

"A haunted mansion is basically spirits that you're trying to reconnect with," Curtis says. "And that's a serious idea. Grief and loss are a part of life."
Each character goes through this arc as they work against the clock to get the haunts out.

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"Everyone in that house is grieving something," Haddish says. "...is hurt by something, has lost something."



The two actresses have great chemistry, both on and off screen.

"There's been a lot of fun to be had," Curtis says. "It's a Disney movie, so you know it's going to be fun."

"Haunted Mansion" is in theaters on Friday, July 28th.

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