Eerie Secrets Unveiled: Director's Stunning Reasons Behind Haunted Mansion's Altered Finale

Summary

Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien explains why the film's darker original ending was changed to reflect the story and respects Disney's preferences.

To avoid a tragic fate for the Black protagonist, portrayed by LaKeith Stanfield, the ending was infused with hope. This decision also aligns with the lighthearted and adventurous tone of Haunted Mansion, making it unsuitable for a darker conclusion. Moreover, the revised ending opens up possibilities for a potential sequel.

Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien has revealed that the film's original ending was much darker before it was changed to better align with the story. The movie centers around Ben Matthias (played by LaKeith Stanfield), who is grieving the loss of his wife while assisting Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) in battling the malevolent Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto). Ultimately, the Hatbox Ghost attempts to manipulate Ben by offering him a chance to reunite with his wife, exploiting his grief.

Although Ben ultimately refuses the Hatbox Ghost's temptation, Simien spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about how the Haunted Mansion ending was initially even darker. However, after casting Stanfield in the lead role, the decision was made to make the ending more hopeful. This resulted in the inclusion of an epilogue that hints at Ben and Gabbie's future. Read Simien's comments below.

The epilogue was indeed added later. The initial version of the movie I encountered had a slightly more somber conclusion, which I truly respected and enjoyed. However, I had a feeling that it might not be accepted by the Disney machine. But when we cast LaKeith, something shifted in what I personally desired for the ending. Frankly, I didn't want to witness a Black man experiencing a tragic fate in a film like this. I longed for him to find hope by the end, and a tragic ending for a Black character would have been incredibly difficult to accept, at least for me at this moment. So we opted for something more optimistic, although there may have been merit to the other version as well.

Why Haunted Mansion Needed A Hopeful Ending

At the conclusion of Haunted Mansion, Ben declines the Hatbox Ghost's offer, granting Harriet (Tiffiny Haddish) the opportunity to utilize an incantation from Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis) to expel him. As a result, the spirits within the Mansion are liberated and opt to remain, while Gabbie and her son Travis (Chase W. Dillon) pledge to care for them. The movie concludes with the entire group retaining their lives, their friendship intact, as Ben gradually recovers from his sorrow.

Haunted Mansion strikes a balance between horror and comedy, emphasizing its adventurous elements. As a result, the scares in the movie are more enjoyable than terrifying, giving it a family-friendly vibe while still pushing boundaries. A grim conclusion would not align with the overall horror-comedy tone of the film.

Moreover, the optimistic ending of Haunted Mansion sets the stage for a potential sequel featuring Stanfield as the lead. Although the possibility of a sequel is uncertain, having Ben, played by Stanfield, meet a tragic fate would not justify making another Haunted Mansion movie. As Simien suggests, the positive ending suits the narrative of the film much better than a darker one would have.

Source: THR