In 2022, composer Kris Bowers was confirmed to be scoring Haunted Mansion. When finding a theme for the score, Bowers stated that the idea of family and community played a large part. He paid homage to the sound of New Orleans by including a variation of “Grim Grinning Ghosts” played by The Soul Rebels, an eight-piece jazz ensemble from the city.

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Bowers included multiple interpolations of the “Grim Grinning Ghosts” theme in his score, with director Justin Simien stating, “Our composer, Kris Bowers, turned those simple phrases into one of the most lush, exciting movie scores I’ve heard.

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“Bowers created several variations of the theme, including one four-note leitmotif that plays throughout the film, “especially when the ghosts are doing creepy things.”
Bowers began recording the score at the Eastwood Scoring Stage in Burbank, California on May 16, 2023.