Disney’s second stab at a Haunted Manion feature film inches towards being a genuine horror genre flick with a PG-13 rating.

Collider has confirmed that the remake of an adaptation of a Disney dark ride is officially PG-13. It’s safe enough for teens but too much for smaller kids. Well, that was a little apparent from the trailer.

PG-13 horror can be done effectively. Dark humor, the staple of the Haunted Mansion as an attraction, is perfect for a PG-13 audience. Trust me. I spent years as a horror genre journalist.

You can still get ultra creepy and somewhat gory with the right direction and camera work. Even the 2003’s The Haunted Mansion had some great zombie/skeleton monster effects, and that movie was PG.

However, the PG-13 rating’s only two warnings are for “some thematic elements and scary action.” Thematic elements are the MPA’s catchall for anything that doesn’t fall under the typical categories most rating address. This could be anything from mild supernatural violence to unsettling imagery.

Haunted Mansion will premiere in theatres on July 28th. The Justin Simien-directed feature film hosts a large cast, including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto.

“Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, ‘Haunted Mansion’ is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.”

Unfortunately, Guillermo del Toro’s plans for a Haunted Mansion movie get stuck in development Hell. However, it’s him if someone can pull off the required atmosphere, creepy visuals, and unique storytelling.

Now that the film’s debut is so close, what do you think of the rating and the little info we have so far? Will the 2023 version beat Eddie Murphy by default? Let us know below.

[Source: Collider]