It all makes sense now! What, we hear you ask? This picture of Ryan Gosling and Guillermo del Toro having a grand old time at Disney’s California theme park. Turns out that not only have they become totes besties, but they’ve also been figuring out ways to work together. The first product of this unlikely but pleasing pal union? Gosling is in talks to star in del Toro’s Haunted Mansion project.
First announced at Comic-Con in 2010, the new cinematic take on the spooky theme park ride has been simmering away in development ever since, with D.V. DeVincentis as the writer currently engaged in cranking out the script. It’s hoped that the film will significantly improve on the decidedly dodgy 2003 Eddie Murphy comedy.
What role Gosling would play remains to be seen, as he’s not officially aboard yet and no real details of the new movie’s plot have been revealed. Del Toro has not definitely said he’s going to direct this one, either, but Gosling’s involvement makes us think he could be leaning towards the idea, assuming he has the time.
“It's going to be a thrill ride for the whole family but it's definitely going to be scary," del Toro has said of the film. "Walt Disney is one of the creators of some of the scariest images in my childhood. People forget that he not only made sweet images but also images of nightmare. We need to honour that side of the legacy."
Gosling’s directorial debut Lost River hits UK screens today, and he’ll also seen in front of the camera for Shane Black’s The Nice Guys, which arrives on June 3 next year and in Terrence Malick’s Weightless, still floating around without a release date like chaff on the wind, set to dreamy music.