Jamie Lee Curtis is a legendary Scream Queen, who battled a masked serial killer as Laurie Strode in the Halloween movies. While she may been done with the role of Laurie, her time in the horror genre isn't finished yet. She's a member of the Haunted Mansion cast, playing the role of eccentric medium Madame Leota. However, ghost fiends and furies (as Leota would say), you don’t have to wait until this weekend to catch a glimpse of the crystal ball spirit, as Curtis revealed her gorgeous costume.
While most know Madame Leota as the ghoulish floating head trapped inside a crystal ball, this ghost did have a human life before her demise. Jamie Lee Curtis posted on Instagram photos of her “gorgeous” Haunted Mansion look, from what I assume to be flashback scenes. Take a look at the magnificent behind-the-scenes photos below:
It’s incredible how much detail went into Madame Leota’s threads. I don’t know about you, but that headdress is totally giving me Queen Amidala vibes. As you can see in the photos, the 64-year-old star is looking like royalty in her purple and red gowns, which are accessorized with jewelry and pearls. Her headwear perfectly mirrors the crystal ball that she eventually inhabits. The Freaky Friday actress mentioned in her caption just how honored she felt to be wearing her costumes, which were made by Tenet costume designer Jeffrey Kurland under the direction of Justin Simien. She also couldn’t help but hilariously point out how slimming the clothes made her look. I'd certainly feel like a queen if I were wearing such garb.
If you look at the history of the Haunted Mansion attraction, you'll see that Madame Leota is a key element of it. Her conception within the ride marks one of the earliest instances in which Disney took advantage of innovative projection technology. As park attendants entered the spooky mansion, they’d see a floating head at the center of the room, conjuring up its residential spirits. And on the big screen, the character was portrayed by Jennifer Tilly in 2003's The Haunted Mansion. This latest take on the property seems set to dive a bit deeper into Leota's story and could shed further light on her background.
Jamie Lee Curtis has only shared teases regarding her character's role in the 2023 movie release. When she offered her own glimpse of Leota earlier this year, she cryptically referred to the psychic's role as a "guide" through the spirit realm. Based on the supernatural film’s trailers, it looks like Haunted Mansion will be surprisingly scary but have plenty of humorous moments mixed in. The My Girl actress herself can vouch for the movie’s humor and spookiness and, hopefully, that'll make it a fun watch for moviegoers. While most will probably show up for the laughs and frights, some may be tempted to check out the film because of Curtis' fresh fits alone.
So, ghost fiends and furies, see Jamie Lee Curtis looking like pure royalty as a human version of Madame Leota when Haunted Mansion opens on July 28th. Also, be sure to read up on other upcoming Disney movies.
