Red carpet events in Hollywood are usually a place where the casts of major new movies get to celebrate their hard work and have a little fun with others who are seeing the project for the first time. The red carpet premiere event for Disney’s Haunted Mansion movie could have been even more of a blast, as it was perfectly themed and took place at Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth. However, it was something of a literal ghost town, as none of the film's stars were in attendance, leaving the red carpet to be inhabited only by the film’s director Justin Simien and a number of costumed Disney Villains.
The Haunted Mansion premiere at Disneyland Resort was the first big red carpet to follow the SAG-AFTRA strike, and as such none of the actors who appeared in the movie were permitted to attend the event. Only director Justin Simien was there to represent the film itself on the red carpet, which stretched across Disneyland’s New Orleans Square outside the Haunted Mansion attraction. Otherwise, the talent was limited to live performers playing various Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie, as well as several beloved antagonists.
Press has been told no interviews tonight. Not even with director Justin Simien.Instead, Disney characters are “walking” the carpet.#HauntedMansion pic.twitter.com/oGP7lX7ndTJuly 16, 2023
Several movie premieres for films based on attractions have taken place at Disneyland Resort, most recently the Jungle Cruise movie, so seeing characters milling about certainly isn't surprising. But it had to be a little weird under the circumstances, since there was a specific reason the actors were not there, and their absence was all too obvious. The fact that attendees got characters and not the on-screen talent was something of an elephant in the park, er, room. When asked about it by Variety, Simien said that he was disappointed that the situation led to such a surreal experience. He continued:
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 have brought about this situation.
Justin Simien was clear that he supported the actors in the strike, so he was not disappointed that the actors were not there, only that the situation that led to the strike forced this outcome. Simien even wore a cape on the red carpet which was created by the Haunted Mansion costume designer, who was also a member of the striking union, so the clothing choice was an act of support for those on strike.
The Haunted Mansion red carpet is likely a harbinger of things to come. If the SAG-AFTRA strike continues, then we can expect most major movie releases simply won’t have red-carpet events at all, as most don’t have the backdrop of Disneyland and costumed characters to fall back on. One could potentially see WB trying something creative with Barbie, as there is the possibility they could pull from the toy line rather than the film, similar to what Disney did here, but that would be a rare exception.
The lack of stars certainly highlights their importance during this period of strike. Until then, at least fans will have the Haunted Mansion movie to enjoy and celebrate when it arrives later this month.
