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Huge Disney sequel scrapped as ticket sales for new Danny DeVito film flop at the Box Office
DISNEY chiefs have been given a nasty scare after new film Haunted Mansion failed to wow audiences.
The star-studded flick hasn’t even been released in the UK yet, but plans to turn it into a franchise have already been put on ice after it flopped at the US box office.
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I’m told bosses had hoped the movie — starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto, Owen Wilson and Danny Devito — would be the first of many, in a similar vein to the smash-hit Pirates Of The Caribbean series.
But Disney has been spooked by its performance already and has shelved talks of a sequel.
A source said: “There were really high hopes for Haunted Mansion and Disney put loads of money into it.
“But the release has been massively overshadowed by other movies, such as Barbie, and the figures are really disappointing. It is based on the Disneyland ride and bosses wanted it to be a major new franchise, just like the Pirates Of The Caribbean films, which also originated from a ride.
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“This one just hasn’t worked, though, and as things stand all ideas and plans for a sequel or spin-off have been shelved.” The comedy-horror has been savaged by critics and is nowhere near recouping its hefty £120million budget.
In fact, globally it has made just £26million so far — meaning it is unlikely to break even during its run in cinemas.
Made a mistake releasing it now
The movie, which will be released here next Friday, was an early victim of the actors’ strike in the US, meaning its cast members were prevented from promoting it and did not attend premieres on either side of the Atlantic.
It has also been criticised for featuring at least 11 different product placements for brands including Yankee Candle, Amazon and Fujifilm.
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I can’t help but feel they have made a mistake by releasing it now, rather than closer to Halloween.
That decision might haunt them for a while.
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