(Courtesy Disneyland Resort)

CALIFORNIA - Fantasy director Guillermo Del Toro has been tapped to turn Disney's chilling theme park ride Haunted Mansion into a new 3D movie.

The Pan's Labyrinth filmmaker will co-write the screenplay and direct and produce the live-action The Haunted Mansion.

It will be Disney's second attempt to take film audiences on a tour of the horror property - Eddie Murphy starred in a supernatural comedy also called The Haunted Mansion in 2003.

But Del Toro's project will have no connection to the Murphy movie and he has warned fans to expect a scary ride.

He tells trade paper Daily Variety, "We will make the Haunted Mansion the most haunted place on Earth. We are not making it a comedy. We will make it scary and fun at the same time.

"For me, the Mansion needs to be the haunted house movie for this generation."

Del Toro made the announcement on July 22 during an appearance at the 2010 Comic-Con in San Diego, California.