Disney Holds “Haunted Mansion” World Premiere Despite SAG-AFTRA Strike
by Jazz Tangcay
The “Haunted Mansion” world premiere took place on Saturday at Disneyland in Anaheim, marking the first major studio premiere since the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Despite the absence of the film’s stars, including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, and Rosario Dawson, who were observing the strike, Disney went ahead with the event.
Director Justin Simien expressed his sadness that the cast couldn’t attend but showed his support for the actors’ walkout. He also gave a shoutout to the cast during the movie’s introduction.
On the red carpet, amusement park performers dressed as villains, including the Evil Queen, Maleficent, and Cruella de Vil, greeted guests and posed for photos with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
The premiere, which included a two-hour red carpet event, a pre-reception, and a screening at the Hyperion Theatre, was an important event for Disney. Cancelling it would have resulted in lost revenue from corporate sponsors such as State Farm, Zillow, and New Orleans & Company.
The premiere occurred just a day after Fran Drescher criticized Disney boss Bob Iger for his comments about the strikers not being “realistic” with their demands. Drescher called Iger “terribly repugnant and out of touch.”
Both Simien and Drescher expressed their desire to have a conversation with Iger to address the realities faced by artists and the demands of the industry.
The lack of star power at the premiere caused the number of photographers and reporters to dramatically decrease. However, nearly 2,000 guests attended the pre-reception held at the theater before the screening.
SAG-AFTRA forbids performers from participating in any publicity or promotional activities during a strike. Despite this, Dawson stated that the premiere moving forward only brought more visibility to the strike’s cause.
“Haunted Mansion” is based on the popular Disney theme park ride of the same name. The film’s cast and director had previously promoted the movie at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans.
Other studios have been scrambling to adjust their upcoming premieres and promotional activities due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Universal canceled the red carpet for the “Oppenheimer” premiere in New York but proceeded with the screening. Paramount’s “Special Ops: Lioness” premiere was completely canceled, while Apple’s “The Beanie Bubble” premiere was also called off.
Although the SAG-AFTRA strike continues to affect the industry, Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” premiere proved that the show can still go on even in challenging times. The film will be released in theaters on July 28.