Like the ride's version of the Hatbox Ghost, the spirit we see in the film's trailer apparently has the ability to transfer its head into the lantern-like Hatbox that it carries – from which we can hear the deep booming voice that narrates the majority of the trailer. We also catch a glimpse of the Hatbox Ghost's sunken blue face later on in the trailer, and from his sinister warning it certainly seems like this character will play a major role in the upcoming movie.
Although the Hatbox Ghost is one of the most iconic characters from the original attraction (so popular that it was revived four decades later for an entirely new audience), it's worth noting that the Eddie Murphy-ld 2003 adaptation, "The Haunted Mansion," chose to simply keep the bodiless "Ghost Host" within the film. In that movie the "Ghost Host" is played by voice actor Corey Burton, and delivers a monologue in the opening credits that features his iconic line from the ride: "Welcome, foolish mortals."
While the Hatbox Ghost doesn't appear at all in the 2003 adaptation, his monologue throughout the new "Haunted Mansion" trailer suggests that he will be might be taking on the role of the "Ghost Host" in the upcoming film – tormenting all the mortals who find their way inside, and taunting them along the way just as the "Ghost Host" does within the ride.
