Haunted Mansion Bombed So Hard That Disney Should Stop Making Reboots
Haunted Mansion, the second cinematic adaptation of the beloved Walt Disney theme park ride following the 2003 version, recently debuted in theaters. Given the intense competition from films like Barbie and Oppenheimer, it’s hardly surprising that the Justin Simien-directed movie’s opening weekend box office numbers were frighteningly low. By these early numbers, Disney is facing the prospect of a third consecutive box office flop, which might be a sign that the company should give up on reboots.
With $9.9 million, Haunted Mansion’s Friday earnings for Disney paled in comparison to Barbie‘s $29 million and Oppenheimer‘s $13.5 million. By Saturday, both Barbie and Oppenheimer saw an increase in their earnings to $34.6 million and $18.2 million respectively, while Haunted Mansion could only muster an $8 million intake.
For Haunted Mansion to be profitable for Disney, it needs to generate roughly $500 million.
On Sunday, Haunted Mansion earned $6.1 million for a weekend total of $24.1 million, surpassing another Disney release, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, but still trailing behind the dominating forces of Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Haunted Mansion was made with a reported budget of about $150 million, a figure likely matched by its marketing expenses. Hence, in order for Haunted Mansion to be profitable for Disney, it needs to generate roughly $500 million. However, even achieving the break-even point of approximately $300 million appears to be a tall order.
So far, Haunted Mansion has managed to amass just over $33 million worldwide for Disney. While it’s not entirely out of the question for the film to recover its costs, it’s up against strong contenders this weekend. Notably, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Meg 2: The Trench are slated for release, and both Barbie and Oppenheimer show no sign of diminishing momentum.
Despite featuring a star-studded cast with the likes of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Rosario Dawson, it’s evident that this reboot wasn’t in high demand. Haunted Mansion has a dismal rating of 41 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, a figure marginally better than the 13 percent the first film adaptation from Disney garnered, but still not impressive by any means.
While the movie saw a more favorable response from traditional audiences, earning a score of 84 percent, it’s clear that viewers aren’t actively promoting the film.
More Disney Flops
Haunted Mansion‘s performance is further evidence of Disney’s recent struggles to score a hit. Pixar’s Elemental barely managed to recoup its expenses, bringing in worldwide earnings of $396 million against a $200 million budget. Meanwhile, Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, with its massive $300 million cost, has only yielded a meager $356 million globally so far.
Haunted Mansion’s theatrical journey is still in its early stages, so it would be premature to label the Disney film a box office disaster. However, the lackluster earnings from its debut weekend do not inspire confidence in its eventual success. The final verdict awaits, but early signs point towards another letdown for Disney.
Despite featuring a star-studded cast with the likes of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Rosario Dawson, it’s evident that this reboot wasn’t in high demand.
Now playing in theaters around the world, Haunted Mansion tells the tale of Gabbie, a single mother who enlists the help of a tour guide, psychic, priest, and historian to rid her newly purchased mansion of its ghostly inhabitants. The film was brought to life under the direction of Justin Simien, with Katie Dippold crafting the screenplay.
