One of the biggest news to come out of the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con was the announcement from Disney that Guillermo del Toro would be remaking ‘The Haunted Mansion’ based on the popular Disney attraction. After the announcement was made, not much was really heard about the progress of the film. Recently, ‘Haunted Mansion’ was removed from a Disney press site that kept a list of upcoming movies that the studio would be releasing, prompting fans to wonder if the project was dropped. But in an interview with Collider, del Toro was able to set the fans at ease.

When asked about the latest update on ‘Haunted Mansion,’ del Toro replied:

“I delivered my last draft five weeks ago. I have a meeting with them in three weeks.  I know they like the screenplay.  I need to meet with them in three weeks. That’s what I know. I know their reaction to the draft was good.  We have a bunch of conceptualist art, but you never know, to predict anything else is hard for me to know. I should have called them and said, ‘Hey.’  Usually, it’s very hard for me to predict what a thing like that means.”

When it was explained to him that the film was no longer on Disney’s press site, del Toro laughingly comments, “Maybe I should give them a call.”

Originally, del Toro was brought on to write and produce the film but he clearly loves this project and isn’t shy about expressing his desire to direct it:

 “Yeah, I still would love to make that movie.  I came on board originally as a writer and producer, the decision I think they may be waiting, is for me to say I’m directing the movie.  Or am I directing it next, which is too early for me to know what I’m doing next in live-action.  I’m in the middle of ‘Pacific Rim’ and I don’t know what I’m going to do next.”

Although there is no target production or release date for ‘Haunted Mansion,’ if Disney does indeed like the script, as del Toro believes, the next obstacle is determining if the studio will fast track the project with another director or wait until del Toro’s schedule allows him to direct. Either way, as long as it erases the earlier movie version that starred Eddie Murphy, I’m happy.

Would you like to see del Toro direct ‘Haunted Mansion?’ And if he’s unavailable, who do you think would be a suitable successor?