(CBR) This year mark”s The Haunted Mansion”s 45th birthday, and to celebrate, Disney plans to develop an animated special based on the venerable theme park attraction to air on Disney Channel and Disney XD.
To make this special a reality, Disney TV Animation brought in some pretty heavy hitters. The look of the show will come from animator Gris Grimly, who”s known for his book “Wicked Nursery Rhymes.” “Phineas & Ferb” veterans Scott Peterson and Joshua Pruett are on board to help with story and production.
“Over the past few years we have focused our strategy on making Disney Television Animation the home for the strongest talent in the business,” Disney TV Animation”s Eric Coleman said in a statement. “We have steadily built our roster with both animation veterans and fresh voices, and have fostered an environment where artists support and inspire one another. This group will help us continue to deliver the great storytelling and beloved characters that the Disney animation legacy is known for.”
The Haunted Mansion ride debuted in 1969 at Disneyland, but Disney World and and Tokyo Disneyland have their own versions. The attraction puts riders in a car moving through a house filled with a variety of PG horrors, from hands coming out of graves to an epic spirit ball.
A 2003 film starring Eddie Murphy tried to capture some of the success of the other ride-based Disney offering from that year, “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but didn”t do nearly as well. In more recent years, Guillermo del Toro has said he wants to make a new film based on the concept.