Owen Wilson, Jamie Lee Curtis and the rest of the Haunted Mansion cast were unable to attend the premiere of the new Disney movie due to the actors’ strike that began this week.
Disney’s solution may have left some confused as real-life characters from the studio’s classic cartoons walked the red carpet instead.
Villains like Maleficent and Cruella de Vil were present in this chilling family horror based on one of Disneyland’s most iconic rides.
The famous couple, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, also waved to the crowd and posed for pictures at the event, which was held in California’s Disneyland.
Tightrope walker Sally Slater, who appears in one of the extended ride photos, is pictured welcoming guests to the premiere.
The cast also includes Tiffany Haddish, Rosario Dawson, Jared Leto, Danny DeVito, and Lakeith Stanfield, none of whom walked the carpet.
Haunted Mansion is one of the first major studio releases during the strike, which began the same night Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer premiered in London.
Cast members including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon pulled out just before the show began once the SAG-AFTRA strike was announced.
While actors are now unable to participate in red carpet events, models, celebrities, and film director Justin Simien showed up at the Haunted Mansion on Saturday.
“Obviously we’re here at a strange time in the industry. There are some people who aren’t here,” Simien said.
The director was still able to promote the film on behalf of the cast and also called in screenwriter Katie Dippold who was also absent due to the WGA strike.
“Believe me,” he said, “if you’re a nerd, and if you love this ride, this is the nerd in the room.”
Semin went on to call Diebold’s script “brilliant, modern, funny, honest, important and meaningful on this journey.”
“It was really important to me to protect her vision and achieve it as best I can.”
Haunted Mansion hits theaters on Friday, August 11.
[ad_2]
