Summary
- Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien claims that he kidnapped Winona Ryder from the set of Beetlejuice 2.
- Winona Ryder's appearance as Pat, the tour guide, adds a strong sense of humor to the movie and brings laughter with every off-hand phrase.
- While Simien joked about kidnapping Ryder, her casting was based on her talent and the perfect fit for the role.
To get Winona Ryder on set for Haunted Mansion, director Justin Simien may have had to kidnap the Beetlejuice 2 star. Haunted Mansion follows mother and son duo Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and Travis (Chase Dillon) as they desperately try to find a way to rid their new home of any supernatural dwellers. Despite having a $150 million budget, the supernatural flick is struggling at the box office after an opening weekend that fell under $30 million. The film does have a strong sense of humor, which is buoyed by Winona Ryder's appearance as Pat, a tour guide that walks everyone through the many props at the Crump estate.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Simien joked that she was brought in after kidnapping her off of the set of Beetlejuice 2. Check out his quote below:
"We kidnapped her. We told her that she was shooting Beetlejuice 2, and she just went with it for a while until she caught on. Carmen Cuba, the casting director, myself, and the studio were really enamored with this idea of plugging in classic faces in these cameo roles, and it just felt so right that she'd be the tour guide at the end of the movie. She was just so delightfully weird and funny in her performance, and it was a super magical time having her on this project."
Winona Ryder Was A Perfect Cameo In Haunted Mansion
Having starred in Edward Scissorhands, Stranger Things, and Beetlejuice, Ryder has an extensive and prominent resume in the horror genre. The veteran actor has years of experience in the horror set, which explains why she was the most fitting casting choice to appear in the movie, especially under Simien's suggestion. Despite a small cameo in the movie's final act, Ryder stood out with her off-hand phrases and humor, which mellowed Haunted Mansion's horror aspects.
Unlike Ryder's role in Stranger Things, Haunted Mansion contains a far more friendly and controlled element of horror catered to families. The supernatural movie attempts to mix humor with its tame scariness so that it is enough to secure a PG-13 rating. While Haunted Mansion was originally intended to be darker, the horror maintains a fairly light-hearted tone despite subtly tackling topics on mental health and grief. That led to a satisfying ending that stands apart from the genre's typical style. It works well for Ryder, though, who already leaned into comedic horror in Edward Scissorhands.
For Ryder, Haunted Mansion also offers the chance to remind the wider audience of her roots before Beetlejuice 2. The movie is set to release in 2024, decades after Beetlejuice was released in 1988. If Ryder wants to draw attention to the original Beetlejuice before the sequel releases, a major cameo in Haunted Mansion is a brilliant way to drum up attention. Despite the movie's struggles, Haunted Mansion is better because of Ryder's appearance.
Source: THR
