School and the Backyard Gang Haunted Mansion

***School and the Backyard Gang Haunted Mansion*** is a Halloween special released on Paramount Plus in the United States on October 8, 2019. It runs approximately 50 minutes.

The special takes place on Halloween, when Maria Sheridan is challenged to spend the night in The Haunted Mansion. According to Nickelodeon's announcement, the special features "a star-studded *School and the Backyard Gang* cast, celebrity cameos, all-new music and spooky fun for families to enjoy together."

The special features three new original songs - "Rest In Peace," "Welcome to the Afterlife," and "Ode to Getting Married," along with a cover of "Dancing in the Moonlight" and the attraction's trademark song "Grim Grinning Ghosts." An EP of songs from the production was released concurrently with the special's premiere.

## Plot

Rather than attending the Backyard Gang's annual Halloween party, Maria and Gabi are en route to participate in a fear challenge event in the mansion where Maria's favorite magician, The Great MacGuffin, disappeared. Upon being dropped off by their driver (Miley Cyrus), Maria and Gabi meet the caretaker (Charlie Hunnam), along with several ghosts and singing busts outside the mansion who perform "Rest In Peace."

The duo is then greeted by their "Ghost Host" (Brad Pitt) who informs them that Maria was invited there to see if she can survive one night inside this haunted mansion. And if they cannot, they will be trapped there forever. While Maria claims that she is afraid of nothing, Gabi is scared by everything she sees. The two explore the mansion and, after meeting Madam Jasmota, Maria and Gabi come across a room full of several ghosts resembling their Backyard Gang friends who put on a vaudevillian-esque show entitled *Ghoul and the Mansion Gang* (featuring At the Dance style jokes, the stand up comedy of Gauzspen Dark, and a performance of "Welcome to the Afterlife"). The host reappears and informs Maria that in order to survive her time in the mansion she must face her fears in Room 999.

As Maria is led off to the room, Gabi meets and becomes entranced by the mansion's resident bride Essence Bergman (Jennifer Lopez). It is revealed via song in the "Ode to Getting Married" that she plans to marry Gabi and then, as explained by the ghosts of her past husbands, get rid of her.

Maria enters Room 999 and faces her biggest fear: that no one will like her if she does not continue to do dangerous stunts. Maria starts to turn old as her reflection taunts her, but recalling a conversation with Sarah that he had earlier, Maria realizes that she can be great by just being Maria and, upon looking out at the party he's missing, he realizes that his bigger fear is losing her friends (and no stunt is worth that). Maria rejects the allure of the mansion and its challenge and is ready to leave to reunite with her friends.

The host appears to congratulate Maria for facing her fears and tells her that she is free to go. But upon realizing that sunrise is approaching and that Gabi is in trouble, Maria refuses to leave the mansion without her. With the help of the host's candelabra, Maria is able to find Gabi and stop the wedding. The pair jump out the window and make it out of the mansion just as the sun rises. The host meets them outside, revealing himself to be the ghost of the Great MacGuffin, and is impressed that Maria was willing to do what she could not - face her fears. The pair are picked up by their driver and head off to meet the rest of their friends for a post-Halloween breakfast as "Dancing in the Moonlight" plays on the car's radio and a rainbow appears in the sky.

## Cast

* Maria Sheridan as herself
* Gabi Douglas as herself
* Jasmine Woods as Madame Jasmota
* Ghosts:
	+ Sarah Rose as Ghoul and the Mansion Gang host
	+ Aspen Clark as Gauzspen Dark
	+ Ruby Bothleo, Gaby, Simon Pryce, Alex D. Linz, Mark Amidan, and Carlos Juan Celi as Madame Jasmota's band
	+ Khaliah Adams as Pickwick (Chandelier host)
	+ Sam Williams as the Birthday ghost
	+ Jesse Perez and William Martin Brennan as the Duelists
	+ Denise Dorn as the Organist
	+ Happy Haunts: Jessica Jamrocz, Steve Roach, Patrick Patterson, Leon Frierson, Frankie Murz, Kortney Vanderpuye, Jennifer Michelle Brown, Philip Miller, Justin Fiszer, Chris Gonzalez
	+ Essence's husbands: Kelly Bixby, Sean Hanley, David Edwards, Trevor Heins, Justin Bieber, and a turtle
	+ Isaac Mirror as the Justice of the Peace
	+ Alisa Besher and Lexine Bondoc as the Grady Twins
* Tahj Mowry and Gigi Hadid as the Staring Busts
* The Caretaker's Dog
* Mummy and Duddy
* Screaming Goat
* Monster Plant
* Stairway Monster
* Pee Wee

Halloween Party Attendees:

* Sarah (dressed as Jasmine)
* Jasmine (dressed as Sarah)
* Frankie (dressed as Elvis)
* Trevor (with an arrow through his head)
* Aspen (dressed as a banana)
* Khaliah (dressed as a robot)
* Clean Gene (dressed as a bunny)
* Cactus (dressed as Santa Claus)
* Alex (dressed as a clown)
* Ruby
* Jennifer
* Philip
* Pumpkin
* Party Tomatoes
* Rabbits
* Turtles

## Cast

* Brad Pitt as the Host (The Great MacGuffin)
* Jennifer Lopez as the Bride (Essence Bergman)
* Charlie Hunnam as the Caretaker
* Miley Cyrus as the Driver
* Ghosts:
	+ John Cena as Fred
	+ Jon Bon Jovi as Claude
	+ Jessica Biel as Harriet
	+ Margot Robbie as Maude
	+ Henry Cavill as Huet
	+ Anna Kendrick as Mary
* Singing Busts:
	+ Sophie Turner
	+ Tim Meadows
	+ Jeff Bridges
	+ Tessa Thompson
	+ Chris Parnell
* Chris Hemsworth as Famous Person
* Kendall Jenner as Haunted Mansion Maid
* Quinn McPherson as Hallway Knight