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Just a week after its debut, Haunted Hotel has secured a second season on Netflix. The animated series, created by Rick and Morty alum Matt Roller, found quick success, sliding into the global top 10 with 1.8 million views in its opening weekend. The streamer clearly believes in its haunted comedy formula.
A promising start, despite uneven reception
Haunted Hotel’s arrival on Netflix was met with a blend of intrigue and skepticism. The 10-episode first season isn’t overly long — running just over four hours in total — which helped many viewers binge it quickly. Despite the show getting off to an impressive start in viewership, critical response has been more delicate. Some praised its humor and cast, while others, like The Hollywood Reporter, pointed out that it rarely pushed past “pleasantly unobjectionable.”
Personally, I found the show charming but safe. It flirts with edgier ghost stories and emotional family dynamics but never fully commits. That said, in just a few episodes, it introduces a world with enough potential to grow. In the age of streaming abundance, that’s already something meaningful.
A family, a haunted hotel, and a lot of ghosts
The series centers on a single mother, voiced by Eliza Coupe, who inherits management of a creepy-but-endearing hotel after years of estrangement from her brother — now a ghost himself, voiced by Will Forte. Their sibling dynamic, awkward and filled with missed connections, brings real heart beneath the supernatural hijinks. To read Pluribus finale shocks fans as season 2 faces long wait
The supporting voice cast is solid, featuring Skyler Gisondo, Natalie Palamides, and Jimmi Simpson. Will Forte brings his usual whimsical energy, and there’s a warmth in Eliza Coupe’s performance that slowly becomes the show’s emotional anchor. I didn’t expect to care about this ghost-run business, but somewhere between the haunted elevator gags and unresolved family wounds, it worked.
Behind the scenes, familiar animation veterans
Produced by Titmouse, the animation studio behind hits like Big Mouth and Star Trek: Lower Decks, Haunted Hotel blends that same colorful, kinetic style of comedy. There’s a familiarity here — both visually and tonally — that recalls adult animation of the last decade.
The creative lineup is telling of its tone:
- Creator Matt Roller, whose past work includes writing for Rick and Morty
- Executive producers Chris McKenna and Dan Harmon (the latter being another Rick and Morty creator)
- Titmouse executives like Chris and Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, and Ben Kalina
- Erica Hayes as supervising director
With a team this experienced, the show feels polished — sometimes to a fault. There are moments where it longs to go weirder or darker but reins itself in, perhaps to appeal to a broader audience.
Where could season 2 go?
Netflix’s quick renewal suggests confidence in this odd little ensemble of the living and dead. There’s clear room for more storytelling, especially in exploring deeper histories of the hotel, more strange ghost guests, and a fleshing out (pun intended) of its emotional themes. To read Taylor Swift opens up in final Eras Tour docuseries episode
I’ll admit: while season 1 didn’t blow me away, it left me curious. And that’s often what you want from a debut. If season 2 lets itself be a little bolder — less safe, more haunted — it might become the show it’s reaching toward.
