racism in hollywood - and how far it has come.

[chamber-music]

I love the old excuse about not casting minority actors because they aren't 'big names or box office draws' yet Hollywood is fine casting any no name young guy white as a lead in dozens of movies every year

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Sure, why not? Marvel has already shown with Spider-man: India that Peter's story can cross regional and ethnic divides.

If people are cool with an ethnic Peter Parker, why were fan boys raging when Miles was introduced. I would love to see Donald play Spidey but we all know hollywood and Internet fanboys won't let that happen.

 

[Erzengel]

I love the old excuse about not casting minority actors because they aren't 'big names or box office draws' yet Hollywood is fine casting any no name young guy white as a lead in dozens of movies every year

Think it was Clerks 2 that Kevin Smith wanted to use his wife and the Studio wanted a bigger name so they got Rosario Dawson.

I think remember reading that for Uma Thurman for the Producers?

It happens.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

Dragon Ball Evolution, Prince of Persia, and Last Airbender are the only examples that anyone really needs..

Prince of Persia wasn't that far off since the lead was Jewish and I'm pretty sure a large population of Persians are Jewish as well but yes, DBEvolution and Airbender...

 

[Guts]

If people are cool with an ethnic Peter Parker, why were fan boys raging when Miles was introduced. I would love to see Donald play Spidey but we all know hollywood and Internet fanboys won't let that happen.

Even though it won't actually be peter?

 

[Lantern Venom]

I love the old excuse about not casting minority actors because they aren't 'big names or box office draws' yet Hollywood is fine casting any no name young guy white as a lead in dozens of movies every year

I've always felt that Bill Duke might have suffered from that in the '80s. He was always brilliant in his supporting roles and a talented director, but he never became a leading man.

 

[Stryderk]

I love the old excuse about not casting minority actors because they aren't 'big names or box office draws' yet Hollywood is fine casting any no name young guy white as a lead in dozens of movies every year

A vast majority of the audience does not want to see a minority in a leading role. It's not racism. Just reality.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

A vast majority of the audience does not want to see a minority in a leading role. It's not racism. Just reality.

(Thinks about careers of Denzel Washington, Wil Smith, Dwayne Johnson, Eddie Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Samuel Jackson...)

Nope. People go see those actor's films all the time and they all appeared in films that are incredibly popular and profitable.

Even factoring in a theoretical "racism" on the part of some in the general audience, "VAST MAJORITY" is an incredible over statement.

 

[Visualiza]

A vast majority of the audience does not want to see a minority in a leading role. It's not racism. Just reality.

That...sounds like racism to me. Maybe I'm crazy.

 

[chamber-music]

(Thinks about careers of Denzel Washington, Wil Smith, Dwayne Johnson, Eddie Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Samuel Jackson...)

Nope. People go see those actor's films all the time and they all appeared in films that are incredibly popular and profitable.

Even factoring in a theoretical "racism" on the part of some in the general audience, "VAST MAJORITY" is an incredible over statement.

I agree with your point. I don't think audiences are on the whole racist although I will say many people don't even know Dwayne Johnson is half black and Freeman/Jackson have spent the majority of their careers in supporting roles. The most of the movies Freeman and Jackson have played the lead man in were not be big box office hits.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

I have only one question...what is the OP's aversion to spelling "what" correctly?

 

[Siby]

A vast majority of the audience does not want to see a minority in a leading role. It's not racism. Just reality.

lol, your statement sounds racist.

I can see the perspective that big names draw the crowds but the big names didn't just start out popular. The reason they became leading actors is because people like their movies and their acting.

The bottom line is if people enjoy the movie and the actors will get their notoriety from that popularity.

I will say that I do not like changing an established character's race or gender just because it is shocking or for equal opportunity reasons. I don't like that Nick Fury or Jim West and probably others I can't think of right now changed race.

 

[jaymes_e06]

A vast majority of the audience does not want to see a minority in a leading role. It's not racism. Just reality.

Um... OK...

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

Um... OK...

I agree that that's kind of a ridiculous thing for him to say, but... you don't have to always respond like that.

It may sound corny but it could hurt his feelings, and I don't know any other way to explain it. You should Respond with what's really on your mind.

 

[KevanG]

I don't care who is in the lead role most times unless it's someone who has been in things like it before. Like Robert Englund in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies for example, he's the original and gave Freddy so much personality it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role but the had Jackie Earl Haliey cast as Freddy in the remake and I think he did a good job.

As for a movie where the original cast was white or mostly white and they want a remake I think it's a good idea to change things up a bit. For things like the Netflix show Luke Cage coming out there's no way they'd ever consider casting anyone but a black man as Luke Cage because that's so essential to the character due to the background and the source material.

To use a more famous example, look at Laurence Fishburne cast as Jack Crawford in the Hannibal tv show where in the Silence of the Lambs movie made from the books had Scott Glenn cast as him. If I hear the name now in context to the series I imagine Fishburne as the character instead of the original actor.

Basically it can be done well and should be done more often. The world is made of of far more than just a bunch of white men doing stuff and more movies should reflect that. So swap the gender/skin color whatever just make it interesting as long as it isn't detrimental to the story.

 

[chamber-music]

Harvey Keitel was Jack Crawford in Red Dragon as well. For some characters race is irrelevant. Denzel Washington taking over from the late Edward Woodward as Robert McCall in the new Equalizer movie is an example of this.

Hollywood wouldn't have to change characters race to reflect the real world if the default setting of most fictional characters wasn't white. If Hollywood cast every character exactly like the source material there would a lot more minority actors out of work.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Denzel as THE EQUALIZER? Damn... Ticket sold.

 

[chamber-music]

Denzel as THE EQUALIZER? Damn... Ticket sold.

Yep new trailer was released today and it looks badass.

 

[the last son]

I prefer Denzel's drama over action. Flight>any generic action movie he's done.

 

[random_havoc]

If people are cool with an ethnic Peter Parker, why were fan boys raging when Miles was introduced. I would love to see Donald play Spidey but we all know hollywood and Internet fanboys won't let that happen.

I'd be ticked off because Donald isn't nearly as good an actor as Andrew Garfield is imo.
Don't get me wrong, I hated ASM2, but Garfield was amazing in the role (no pun intended)

 

[MrsKent26]

A vast majority of the audience does not want to see a minority in a leading role. It's not racism. Just reality.

Nope.

And if this is true...that's not a good thing for humanity. Accepting something like that and saying "It's reality" is not the way to react to it. That should not be reality and it absolutely would be rooted in racism if true.

 

[Visualiza]

I prefer Denzel's drama over action. Flight>any generic action movie he's done.

Eh, while I agree with the former, Flight doesn't really measure up to his better dramas. It was pretty generic itself.

 

[KevanG]

Nope.

And if this is true...that's not a good thing for humanity. Accepting something like that and saying "It's reality" is not the way to react to it. That should not be reality and it absolutely would be rooted in racism if true.

And what would you do if they replaced Cavill with Micheal B Jordan?

 

[MrsKent26]

And what would you do if they replaced Cavill with Micheal B Jordan?

Well, I wouldn't want Cavill replaced because he's great in the role, but I would be open to superman being of a different race when the character is recast for a new series of movies.

 

[KevanG]

Jeez MrsK, you're disappointing me. I expected something along the lines of "I'd cut a b****."