July 19th 2023.
At the Haunted Mansion premiere on July 15, Disney took a unique approach to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which prevented the movie's A-list cast from attending. Instead, Mickey, Minnie, and classic villains like Maleficent and Cruella de Vil walked the red carpet in lieu of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Daniel Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Rosario Dawson.
The event was a far cry from the jam-packed premiere that was expected. Only a few members of the press were present, leaving the carpet feeling lonely and eerie.
Director Justin Simien spoke with Variety about the situation, expressing mixed emotions. He shared, “It’s so surreal; it’s so sad and disappointing. But I’m not disappointed in this cast. I’m disappointed in the conditions that brought about this situation.”
Simien, a Black queer artist, was inspired by the protagonists in Disney films he watched as a child to dream big. For this reason, he would “really love to sit down” with Disney CEO Bob Iger to discuss his comments that SAG-AFTRA actors should be “realistic” with their demands.
However, despite the absence of the stars, Simien still managed to get the audience laughing and joyful inside the theater. He also shared that it is a “weird time in the industry” and that the strike gives visibility to the cause they are fighting for.
The SAG-AFTRA strike has become a challenge for major studios, who have to figure out how to host premieres without their actors or cancel them altogether. Until negotiations are made, guests will only have Mickey Mouse and friends to catch up with at these events.
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