Disney Characters Walk Red Carpet at 'Haunted Mansion' Premiere Instead of Film's Stars Due to SAG Strike

SAG-AFTRA members are not allowed to attend premieres per the stipulations of the union strike initiated on Thursday

Disney characters walked the red carpet at the Haunted Mansion premiere at Disneyland on Saturday instead of the film’s stars due to the SAG-AFTRA strike initiated on Thursday.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Maleficent, the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) and Cruella de Vil posed on the carpet for photos with guests, who also gained private access to ride the titular attraction, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

Director Justin Simien was the only one from the film to attend the premiere, telling Variety that he was “sad” his cast couldn’t walk the carpet with him. (Press was initially told that the filmmaker would not be speaking with any reporters for interviews.)

Related: SAG Strike Rules: What Hollywood Actors Can and Can’t Do Until a Resolution Is Reached

“I feel very ambivalent about it, but at the same time, I’m just so proud of this cast and I’m so, so proud of Katie Dippold who wrote the script, and so much of why I did this was to honor her words and to honor their work,” Simien told THR at the premiere.

“If they can’t be here to speak for it, I felt like I had to be here to speak for it,” he explained. “It’s sad that they’re not here, at the same time, I totally support the reason why they’re not here. And I’m happy to be the one to ring the bell in their stead.”

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According to THR and Variety, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Lee Curtis, Danny Devito, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, Dan Levy, Hasan Minhaj, Chase W. Dillon, Marilu Henner, Lindsay Lamb were originally supposed to walk the red carpet at the premiere of their upcoming film. Instead, however, in observance of the strike’s stipulations, they did not.

Related: 'Haunted Mansion' Trailer: See Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield in Disney Spookfest

After SAG-AFTRA — the union that comprises the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists — announced it had initiated a strike on Thursday, members received instructions on what is and isn’t permitted.

In a Thursday memo signed by union president Fran Drescher and national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA members were ordered “to cease rendering all services and performing all work covered by the TV/Theatrical Contracts” once the strike began — meaning that any work on TV shows and movies must come to a halt, shutting down production completely.

This includes promoting new projects, such as tours, personal appearances and attendance at premieres and screenings. Interviews are also off the table, as well as podcast appearances and promotion on social media.

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