Did Eddie Murphy reprise his role as Jim Evers for the 2023 Haunted Mansion remake? The comedian starred in the 2003 movie of the same name, which had a completely different story.
Keep reading for all the details.
Is Eddie Murphy in the 2023 ‘Haunted Mansion’ Movie?
Unfortunately, he’s not. The actor does not make an appearance in the new film, despite being in first adaptation of the Disney ride.
“I did a Haunted Mansion movie, and it wasn’t very good, so I don’t know if they want to bring the old baggage and have me stinking up the new one,” Eddie told Entertainment Tonight in January 2023 about the new film. “My Haunted Mansion was not all that and a bag of chips.”
Why Isn’t Eddie Murphy in the 2023 ‘Haunted Mansion’ Movie?
The original Haunted Mansion film had some major changes from the classic Disney ride. However, the 2023 version stayed true to the attraction, pulling from the Disneyland version directly. In fact, the director, Justin Simien, was candid about his issues with the first adaptation, and why he strayed from taking any inspiration.
“I had a little bit of beef with the first film, because the first thing you’ve got to give the kids is the candy of the mansion that they know and love,” he told Entertainment Weekly in May 2023, noting that he “looked at [the film] a lot, mostly to see how easy it would be to go awry in certain spots.”
Justin went on to say that he had no intentions to “dunk on” the 2023 version, but wanted to “create something totally different” than what had already been done.
“It’s a movie of its time, and it’s also a movie that, frankly, a lot of people grew up with and love hardcore. In theaters, I was a little too old for it, but what I appreciated was [director] Rob Minkoff,” the filmmaker added. “He’s a genius. And I appreciated the elevation that they were going for. They had this beautiful book of all the production design, and I spent a lot of time walking through what their intentions were. I think a lot of that was interesting, but I also didn’t want to repeat any of it.”
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