Disney’s Haunted Mansion was released at a poor time as its core cast was forced to sit out the premiere due to the recently started SAG-AFTRA strike. Stars like LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, and Rosario Dawson couldn’t attend the premiere due to the strike’s rules, though neither did any of the other main cast.
The flick premiered at Hyperion Theater in Disneyland in Anaheim, complete with a red carpet event, but due to the strike, the only ones walking the red carpet were performers donning costumes of classic villains like the Evil Queen and Cruella de Vil alongside power-couple Minnie and Mickey Mouse.
The main event consisted of not just the premiere but also a two-hour carpet as well pre-reception, and screening. If Disney were to cut the event, though, odds it would’ve been a huge money sink for it, leading to losing revenue that it secured from corporate sponsors like Zillow, State Farm, New Orleans & Company, and Michael’s.
Director Justin Simien told Variety that he was “sad” that the actors couldn’t attend the premiere but also understands and supports the strike. He also wants to talk to Bob Iger and his take on the “unrealistic” demands actors put forward. He also thinks the take is “tone-deaf.”
“I found them terribly repugnant and out of touch. Positively tone deaf. I don’t think it served him well. If I were that company, I would lock him behind doors and never let him talk to anybody about this, because it’s so obvious that he has no clue as to what is really happening on the ground with hard working people that don’t make anywhere near the salary he is making. High seven figures, eight figures, this is crazy money that they make, and they don’t care if they’re land barons of a medieval time.”
Haunted Mansion marks the first major premiere to occur since the strike started. The strike requires all SAG-AFTRA members to refrain from participating in any promotion or premiere of films that they got under the union’s contract.
It’s already had some rippling effects on big-name productions. Marvel’s Deadpool 3 has halted production amid this strike, meanwhile on the TV side of things, DC’s The Sandman stopped filming.
Gabriel enjoys all things entertainment from writing about video games as the Managing Editor for PSX Extreme to covering the latest film and TV news for his own publication — Early Reel. Follow him on X.