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      Thandie Newton Regrets Portraying Black Stereotypes in Movies, Hints at Friction With Spike Lee

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      The ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ actress apologizes for taking roles that misinterpreted African Americans in the past and welcomes criticisms from fans and Hollywood pals.
      Jul 8, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Thandie Newton regrets some of the roles she took on earlier in her career because of the way they misrepresented African-Americans.
      The British actress gave an emotional interview to New York magazine’s Vulture, in which she opened up about her roles in movies such as 1995’s “Jefferson in Paris”, “Beloved”, and Oscar-winning movie “Crash”.
      In “Jefferson in Paris” she played slave Sally Hemings, the “lover” of the then Ambassador of the United States to France before his presidency, and when asked how she saw the film in retrospect, the “Westworld” star candidly admitted she now found it problematic, along with her portrayals of African-Americans in general.
      “I would definitely approach that film in a completely different way now. I would push for the film to be more about Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson,” she confessed. “And I think that had the DNA tests been done before the movie, they would have definitely wanted to make it more about that.”
      In 1998, a DNA test published in the scientific journal Nature found strong evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered at least one child with Hemings.
      Newton continued, “I mean, she was his slave. It was rape.”
      In her defence, she added, it was “my first big film” and she welcomed criticism from “any number of African-Americans… for that one.”
      “Well, I don’t think it’s paranoia. Spike Lee and I had a little moment,” she said of the forthright director’s views on the role. “We’re always respectful when we see each other. But he wasn’t exactly knocking on my door asking me to work with him.”
      “I can’t put words in his mouth of what he thought of it,” she continued. “I know the nature of this business has had me play roles that I’m embarrassed I played. It’s had me misrepresent African-Americans. Because I didn’t know.”
      The Brit then suggested she had “not been of great service” in her career and apologised for getting emotional as she broke down in tears.
      “I guess it’s been of service in one respect, because there’s a person of colour in a movie, but that can do more harm than good – let’s face it,” she said. “Anyway, sorry. God, wow. I’ve never cried in an interview before.”

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      Lin-Manuel Miranda Gracefully Accepts Criticisms of 'Hamilton' Glorifying Slave Owners

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      Amid the recent success of the ‘Hamilton’ movie debut, the musical is under scrutiny again over its portrayal of Alexander Hamilton, who has been accused of being complicit in the slave trade.
      Jul 8, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Lin-Manuel Miranda has responded after “Hamilton” came under fire over accusation that it glorifies slave owners. In light of the massive success of the “Hamilton” movie which debuted this past weekend, the show is under scrutiny again over its portrayal of Alexander Hamilton, who has been accused of being complicit in the slave trade.
      In the musical and the film, Hamilton is depicted as a “young, scrappy, and hungry” immigrant and someone who was passionate about the abolition of slavery. The real Alexander Hamilton, who was the inspiration behind the musical, has been accused of being complicit in the slave trade as he had several friends who owned slaves, including George Washington.
      Though he despised slavery, Hamilton married into a prominent New York slave-holding family and managed the sale of slaves for his in-laws. He also did accounting for a Caribbean trading company that engaged in the slave trade.
      Following the release of the movie version, people demand “Hamilton” cancellation, with the hashtag “#CancelHamilton” growing on Twitter. “How is Hamilton not canceled? Alexander Hamilton owned and traded slaves. I think we need to cancel Hamilton,” one person wrote on Twitter. Another added, “Hamilton was a slave trader. Tear down the statues NOW and #CancelHamilton.”
      Writer Tracy Clayton posted a series of tweets debating the issue with “Hamilton”, writing that the play and the movie version “were given to us in two different worlds & our willingness to interrogate things in this way feels like a clear sign of change.”
      The host of the weekly Netflix podcast “Strong Black Legends” added that “Hamilton” is “a flawed play about flawed people written by an imperfect person that gave my flawed and imperfect little life a big boost when i needed it most, so again i know im biased, but i do appreciate the change this illustrates & will be following the convo’s evolution.”
      Miranda, who wrote the music and lyrics as well as starred in the original Broadway show, later responded to the backlash by commenting on the thread. Taking the criticisms in stride, he wrote, “Appreciate you so much, @brokeymcpoverty. All the criticisms are valid.”

      Lin-Manuel Miranda responded to the ‘Hamilton’ backlash.
      The 40-year-old playwright went on admitting his shortage in creating the musical, “The sheer tonnage of complexities & failings of these people I couldn’t get. Or wrestled with but cut. I took 6 years and fit as much as I could in a 2.5 hour musical. Did my best. It’s all fair game.”

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      Queen's Roger Taylor Deems 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Sequel a 'Dangerous Territory'

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      While fans have been crying for a follow-up that will revolve around his band’s final tour, the legendary drummer confesses he has seen nothing to date that has interested him.
      Jul 7, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Queen star Roger Taylor can’t imagine a “Bohemian Rhapsody” sequel unless someone comes up with a “genius plan”.
      The hit 2018 film ended with the group’s triumphant performance at Live Aid in London in 1985 and fans have been crying for a follow-up that will revolve around Queen’s final tour the following year, as frontman Freddie Mercury was losing his health battle with Aids.
      But, like bandmate Brian May, drummer Taylor can’t imagine a sequel, confessing he has seen nothing to date that has interested him.
      “I really do think that we need to sit back for a year or two and look at things and see if that is a believable or credible thing to do,” he tells Rolling Stone. “The movie was a great hit. We were delighted, obviously. But I think I wouldn’t want to be seen as cashing in again. I’d have to have a very, very good script and scenario to make that work. Right now, I can’t think of a way of doing a sequel.”
      “If somebody comes up with a genius plan, maybe we’ll think about it. Right now, we’re just very happy with what the movie did. There are so many sequels that don’t match up to the original one. There are obvious ones that did, but on the whole, I think it’s a dangerous territory.”

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      Halle Berry Praised for Withdrawing From Transgender Role After Backlash

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      The ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ actress apologizes after her teasing of her role as a transgender man in an upcoming film was met with criticism.
      Jul 7, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Halle Berry has walked away from a film role that landed her in hot water. During an Instagram Live on Friday, July 3, the actress revealed that she had been preparing for a role that would see her as transgender character, but she had not been officially cast.
      “[It’s] a character where the woman is a trans character, so she’s a woman that transitioned into a man,” she teased about the role. “She’s a character in a project I love that I might be doing.” Sharing her preparation for the role, she added that she wanted to take a “deep dive” into “that world,” likely referring to the trans community.
      During the interview, Berry also misgendered the character multiple times. “Who this woman was is so interesting to me, and that will probably be my next project,” she said, much to people’s dismay.
      One of those who criticized Berry’s potential role as a transgender was the Twitter account for the Netflix documentary “Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen”, which was released last month and examines Hollywood’s portrayal of transgender people and their stories. The account handler wrote, “Hi @halleberry, we heard you’re considering playing a trans man in your next project. We ask that you please watch @Disclosure_Doc on @netflix first to understand how cis actors like yourself acting in trans roles has major cultural consequences offscreen. #DisclosureNetflix.”
      The “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” star apparently noticed the backlash and has changed her mind about taking on the role. In a statement posted on her Twitter page on Monday, she apologized for misgendering the character and for considering to tackle the role.
      “Over the weekend I had the opportunity to discuss my consideration of an upcoming role as a transgender man, and I’d like to apologize for those remarks. As a cisgender woman, I now understand that I should not have considered this role, and that the transgender community should undeniably have the opportunity to tell their own stories,” she wrote.
      She continued, “I am grateful for the guidance and critical conversation over the past few days and will continue to listen, educate and learn from this mistake. I vow to be an ally in using my voice to promote better representation on-screen, both in front of and behind the camera.”
      Berry has since been praised for her gracious response to the backlash. LGBTQ+ organization GLAAD tweeted, “We are pleased that @halleberry listened to the concerns of transgender people and learned from them. Other powerful people should do the same. A good place to start is by watching @Disclosure_Doc to learn about trans representation in media.”

      GLAAD reacts to Halle Berry’s apology.
      @Disclosure_Doc, which was among the first to bring up the matter, also commended the 53-year-old actress for withdrawing from the role. “Thank you @halleberry for listening and learning. We hope #DisclosureNetflix is one of many educational tools you and others can rely to inspire and strengthen allyship,” it reacted to Berry’s apology.

      ‘Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen’ Twitter account commends the actress on her response to the backlash.
      Other details of the project that Berry was considering to star in are not available since she didn’t mention the title during the Instagram Live interview.

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      'Tax Collector' Director Throws Light on Shia LaBeouf's Role in the Wake of 'Brownface' Allegations

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      WENN

      Movie fans have voiced concerns that the ‘Fury’ actor may have been cast to play a Latino character when he is not of Latin descent after the trailer for the David Ayer-directed film was released.
      Jul 7, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Shia LaBeouf has been accused of using “brownface” after the trailer for his new movie seemingly showed him portraying a man of Mexican descent.
      The criticism was sparked when the trailer for the David Ayer directed film The “Tax Collector” was released, showing a heavily tattooed Shia playing a gangster working for a crime lord and speaking with an accent. And some movie fans took to social media to voice concerns he may have been cast to play a Latino character when he is not of Latin descent.
      A Mexican TV writer and producer tweeted: “#brownfacing 2020 style,” before adding: “Tell all the kids how you’re Hollywood’s top cholo auteur, and your pretzel reasons Shia Lebeouf (sic) is sort of kind of playing a weird movie cholo in a cop movie and how all of this isn’t really.”

      A Mexican TV writer and producer accused Shia LaBeouf of using ‘brownface’ in ‘Tax Collector’.
      However, Ayer hit back at the claims and insisted Shia is playing a white man – although the character is heavily influenced by Latinx culture.
      When another critic directly tweeted the filmmaker to ask: “Is Shia Lebouf (sic) playing a Latino character in Tax Collector? If so, why didn’t you cast a Latin actor?”
      The director, who helmed “Suicide Squad”, responded: “Really important answer – Shia is playing a whiteboy who grew up in the hood. This is a Jewish dude playing a white character. Also the only white dude in the movie.”

      David Ayer clarified on Shia LaBeouf’s character in ‘Tax Collector’.
      “I grew up hood and I’m a whiteboy. Chicano culture is inclusive – I’ve seen whiteys, Asians, Blacks, Filipinos all putting in work for the hood. It’s part of street culture.”

      David Ayer further explained about chicano culture.
      He also clarified, the film isn’t a “cop movie”, and “Shia is playing something very specific. Not brown face.”

      David Ayer stressed that Shia LaBeouf did not do ‘brownface’.
      The once-troubled actor, who starred in Ayer’s film “Fury”, has turned his career around in recent years, and garnered critical acclaim, particularly for his movie “Honey Boy”, in which he starred as a fictionalised version of his own father.

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      Charlize Theron on the Recasting of Furiosa for Prequel Film: It’s a Tough One to Swallow More

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      Florence Pugh Confirmed to Take Over 'Black Widow' Franchise From Scarlett Johansson

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      WENN/Marvel Studios

      Talking about the casting of the ‘Little Women’ actress, director Cate Shortland praises the Natasha Romanoff depicter for being ‘so gracious’ about the handing of the baton.
      Jul 7, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Florence Pugh will take over the “Black Widow” Marvel universe from Scarlett Johansson in the next Avengers-related movie.
      “Black Widow” director Cate Shortland has revealed that she and the film’s producers had no idea how “great” the “Little Women (2019)” star would be and they’ve decided to retire Scarlett’s Natasha Romanoff and lead upcoming films with Pugh’s Yelena Belova character.
      “We realized that the audience would expect an origin story so, of course, we went in the opposite direction,” Shortland told Empire. “And we didn’t know how great Florence Pugh would be. We knew she would be great, but we didn’t know how great.”
      “Scarlett is so gracious, like, ‘Oh, I’m handing her the baton.’ So it’s going to propel another female story line.”
      “Black Widow” is scheduled to hit cinemas in October and November after its initial 1 May release date was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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      Charlize Theron on the Recasting of Furiosa for Prequel Film: It's a Tough One to Swallow

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      Filmmaker George Miller has abandoned plans to use computer-generated imagery to de-age the ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ actress, and eyed to cast Jodie Comer instead.
      Jul 7, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Charlize Theron is disappointed she won’t get the opportunity to reprise her “Mad Max: Fury Road” character in a Furiosa prequel, confessing it’s “a tough one to swallow.”
      Filmmaker George Miller had initially been expected to reteam with Theron for the spin-off project to explore the war captain’s back story, but he recently abandoned plans to use computer-generated imagery to de-age the Oscar winner onscreen for the entire movie.
      Instead, 27-year-old “Killing Eve” star Jodie Comer has reportedly been eyed to take over the part of a younger Furiosa, and Theron, 44, admits the news is crushing.
      “It’s a tough one to swallow,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “Listen, I fully respect George, if not more so in the aftermath of making that film (‘Fury Road’) with him. He’s a master, and I wish him nothing but the best.”
      “(But) yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her. She will forever be someone I think of and reflect on fondly.”
      “Obviously, I would love to see that story continue, and if he feels like he has to go about it this way, then I trust him in that manner.”
      However, all is not lost for the “Monster” actress – her “Fury Road” co-star Tom Hardy previously revealed there are plans for him to star in another two “Mad Max” films, and Theron has stated she’d return for another sequel if Miller directs.

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      Tessa Thompson Pushes Marvel to Give Better Representation of Race and Sexual Orientation

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      WENN

      The actress playing Valkyrie in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’ shares her thought after co-star Anthony Mackie called out bosses at the studio for its lack of diversity.
      Jul 6, 2020
      AceShowbiz – Tessa Thompson is pushing for Marvel bosses to commit to better representation of people from all backgrounds on screen.
      The 36-year-old actress, who played Valkyrie in “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Avengers: Endgame”, told Variety she hopes to see people of every race, sexual orientation and ability in upcoming installments of the hugely popular comic book movies.
      “The truth is these movies travel globally in such huge ways, and if you can represent people that are of color, if you can represent people with disabilities, if you can represent the LGBTQIA community inside of these films, it’s a pretty big deal,” Tessa shared.
      Explaining that there are “so many cool queer characters in the comic books, and they should have a place on screen,” she continued, “I think it’s really important for everybody, but for young people especially, to be able to show up to those movies and see projections of themselves.”
      “So I’m really excited that we’re able to continue to push the bounds of that and that I’m able to do that with Valkyrie.”
      [embedded content]
      Actor Anthony Mackie recently called out bosses at the studio for its lack of diversity, telling Variety, “It really bothered me that I’ve done seven Marvel movies where every producer, every director, every stunt person, every costume designer, every PA, every single person has been white.”
      He called on company officials to hire the “best person for the job,” regardless of their stature, and open up opportunities for “a new generation of people who can put something on their resume.”

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