Draft:Phantom Manor – The Bride's song

Phantom Manor – The Bride's song, also known simply as Phantom Manor, is a 2025 upcoming French dark fantasy period drama short film written and directed by Johan Souply based on the Phantom Manor attraction in Disneyland Paris. The film stars Vincent Ronsse, Frédéric Souterelle, Rupert James, Vincent Grass, and Julie Venturelli. The story takes place in the early 20th century and follows two characters who enter the town of Thunder Mesa in Arizona to investigate the Victorian legend of the Ravenswood Mansion.

Phantom Manor is scheduled to be released worldwide on YouTube in October 2025 after premieres in France and screenings in worldwide film festivals.

Premise
Fifty years after a terrible earthquake devastated the town of Thunder Mesa, two people enter the town, where they meet a young girl who swears to them that she entered the old abandoned Ravenswood Mansion and saw a young bride, who had supposedly disappeared since decades.

They interrogate the inhabitants and further investigate the history of the town, until they decide to enter the manor and discover its secret.

Cast

 * Vincent Ronsse
 * Frédéric Souterelle
 * Vincent Grass
 * Rupert James as Henry Ravenswood, a rich western settler born in 1795, living in a manor high on Boot Hill in the town of Thunder Mesa with his wife Martha and his daughter Melanie.
 * Julie Venturelli as Melanie Ravenswood, the daughter of Henry Ravenswood, a beautiful young woman whose lover Jake was killed on their wedding day.

Development
Johan Souply started writing the script to an unofficial short film based on the Phantom Manor ride in 2020, to celebrate the 10 years of a fake movie trailer based on the ride that he had uploaded on his YouTube channel. This is the longest film he had written, having already worked as a director, producer, and writer with his team for Disney and other theme parks, and other companies such as TF1 and the Eiffel Tower company.

He officially announced the project on his YouTube channel in January 2021, and created a campaign on the French crowdfunding platform Ulule with a goal of €10,000. In 3 months, he received 244 % of his initial goal, with a total of €24,428 out of 754 contributions, allowing him to keep scenes that were originally deemed too complex and expensive.

The project started to be talked about on internet and in the press. €20,000 more were acquired including over €10,000 for the construction of the sets, and the French production company A-Squad Pictures joined the project and provided Souply with a team and over €100,000 of professional audiovisual equipment.

Pre-production
In March 2021, Souply began hiring a crew, and started searching for talent through his YouTube channel.

Pre-production officially started in summer, with Souply's non-profit film production organization La Cité des Rêveurs. During the rest of the year, the first sets were built, and the cast and crew were almost fully formed.

Initially intended for an October 2021 release, the project got unexpectedly highly slowed and went through development hell due to various reasons, including restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, budget limitations, and most importantly difficulties due to the complexity of the project, with Souply wanting the majority of the sets of the film to be built in studio to authentically replicate the Victorian era and the original sets of the Phantom Manor ride and Frontierland land, finding locations in France to ressemble Old West settings, using complex custom-made costumes, and a general complex production design.

In late 2023, all the sets finished building, and Souply shared videos of them for the first time.

Filming
The first day of filming took place on March 2, 2024 in the Saint-Just cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in France, in Laon, the childhood town of Souply, with the actress Julie Venturelli, and some inhabitants of the town serving as extras.

One week later, Souply posted images of filming on social media, announcing for the first time Venturelli in the role of Melanie Ravenswood.

Filming took place during the rest of the year in studio, with some outdoor scenes filmed in the French western-themed theme park of Fraispertuis City.

Marketing
The first teaser trailer for the project and crowdfunding was posted on the YouTube channel of Johan Souply on February 7, 2021.

Themes
One prominent theme is the exploration of human greed and its consequences. The narrative critiques the relentless pursuit of wealth, exemplified by the violent expulsion of an indigenous Shoshone tribe by Americans to exploit their land for precious minerals. This act leads to a chaotic influx of gold seekers, highlighting the moral and social upheaval brought on by the Gold Rush.

The film also addresses the notion of true love and its endurance over time, raising questions about the nature of love and loyalty, and whether love can truly withstand the test of time and adversity.

Family dynamics and the abuse of power within familial relationships are explored through the character of Henry Ravenswood. His authoritarian parenting, infidelity, and violent tendencies create a portrait of familial dysfunction and emotional trauma. The character's strict control over his daughter, coupled with his oppressive behavior, serves as a critique of patriarchal dominance and its impact on individual freedom and well-being.

Release
Phantom Manor is scheduled to be released worldwide on YouTube in October 2025 after private premieres in France and screenings in worldwide film festivals.

Initially scheduled for an October 31, 2021 release, the project went through development hell until 2024.

The film will not have any financial revenue, since the rights to the Phantom Manor ride and storyline fully belong to Disneyland Paris.