Ever since leaving New Zealand and The Hobbit behind, fans have been wondering what big project Guillermo del Toro would tackle next. Would it be Hellboy3, Frankenstein, or maybe even his adaptation of Lovecraft’s, ‘At The Mountains of Madness?’
The guessing game came to an end Thurday, July 22 at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con. In a surprise appearance at the Disney panel, del Toro announced he would be involved in a remake of the Disney attraction, The Haunted Mansion.
This version of the film will focus on a character known as the Hatbox Ghost. “There are several mansions around the world and he is the spider in the center of the web of these mansions around the world,” del Toro told The Hollywood Reporter. “He will be a pivotal figure in the screenplay.” del Toro is resurrecting the Hatbox Ghost character which had a short career due to lighting issues when the original attraction opened and resulted in his removal.
I find del Toro’s choice of this project somewhat puzzling and slightly disappointing given how many higher profile, and more prestiguous, projects he has been attached to. No doubt, del Toro will make The Haunted Mansion a quality and fun project. But the feeling remains, and seems to be borne out by feedback on the internet, that del Toro’s fans would much rather see him spending his time on another project.
ShockTillYouDrop has posted an image of the limited edition (only 999 were available) poster of the Hatbox Ghost that was being handed out at SDCC.