Matt Damon-Great Wall : Flops in the US.

[Guestx]

I don't really buy this argument. You can have some big name starts in supporting roles to sell the film while giving the lead to an upstart Asian actress.

And really I think star power is overrated anyway. I think the era of a John Wayne carrying a movie is over. Its Ghost in the Shell so its going to be attracting weebs anyway. Put enough action in the trailer and people will see it.

I wouldn't have minded seeing them try, but I can't think of who might work. What Asian girl aside from Lucy Liu--who is not even Japanese or a Japanese-American--has the language skills to carry an American production? The only person who even begins to come to mind as someone they could roll the dice on is Rinko Kikuch and I think she would be a shaky proposition.

Its kind of a self fulfilling prophecy. Asians never get roles outside a few stereotypical ones so they never get the chance to become a star. With no Asian stars, the assumption is that they can't sell and so they remain stuck in stereotypical roles.

Jackie Chan is the one exception and that's because he had such a great career in China. But if he had moved to the US early on would that mean he had less talent? No but it probably would've meant he wouldn't have turned into the start he became because he wouldn't get the kind of roles that build star power.

Hollywood has proven that they don't mind making Asian people stars when there are actually Asians with the talent and charisma to become stars. You mentioned Jackie Chan, so there's one example. Jet Li did several Hollywood films. Lucy Liu, an Asian American, got plenty of opportunities. John Cho has gotten a lot of roles. Ken Watanabe has been given high profile roles in movies like The Last Samurai, Inception and Godzilla. Ken Jeong has popped up a lot over the last few years.

While I really would like to see more Asians in film, let's not pretend like there's some Hollywood conspiracy to keep them out. Hollywood only cares about one thing: Money. If an Asian person can make money for the studios, you can bet he/she will get a push.

 

[TrippleOG]

What a waste of studio money making this CGI infested Garbage. I'm even worried about King Kong... Nothing can top LOTR.

 

[Guestx]

As far as appropriation goes, the most recent example I can recall for blacks was the Nina Simone biopic. Instead of casting one of the many working black actresses to portray a famous black singer, they cast Zoe Saldana and put blackface on her.

WTF? That bitch has a ton of black in her!

You really are going to give her shit for playing a black person because she's not pure blood negro?

I don't like seeing ANY role recast with a different race, it's jarring to me. But it's much more annoying when they take a role that SHOULD go to minority actor and just cast an established white actor. White actors have enough presence in hollywood without giving them minority roles too.

I have mixed emotions about this, honestly.

On one hand, I'm sure there are plenty of talented Asians (and other minorities) out there who aren't getting their due. But on the other, I don't think we should cast minorities as some affirmative action effort.

It's like the whole "Oscars So White" debacle. Did minority-lead films not get nominated for Best Picture because of some Hollywood racism . . . or did they not get nominated because it so happened that a minority-lead film didn't happen to be one of the best EIGHT fucking films of the year? Are we supposed to nominate minorities for these categories even if they don't deserve it, just to be diverse? Should we push out some white person who gave a superior performance because some black person needs a participation prize?

 

[Plutoburn]

Olivia Munn could play the female lead in GitS. We know she can handle action heavy roles from her experience in Xmen Apocalypse. And she is part Asian so that should appease some people. Not the perfect cast but one that should have been considered.

 

[Guestx]

It's borderline offsenive that they won't put an asian man in a lead role unless he's doing kung fu.

John Cho in the White Castle films?

 

[Islam Imamate]

I wouldn't have minded seeing them try, but I can't think of who might work. What Asian girl aside from Lucy Liu--who is not even Japanese or a Japanese-American--has the language skills to carry an American production? The only person who even begins to come to mind as someone they could roll the dice on is Rinko Kikuch and I think she would be a shaky proposition.

Yeah same here, not sure who I would've cast but then again its not my job and I bet its not yours either.

Hollywood has proven that they don't mind making Asian people stars when there are actually Asians with the talent and charisma to become stars. You mentioned Jackie Chan, so there's one example. Jet Li did several Hollywood films. Lucy Liu, an Asian American, got plenty of opportunities. John Cho has gotten a lot of roles. Ken Watanabe has been given high profile roles in movies like The Last Samurai, Inception and Godzilla. Ken Jeong has popped up a lot over the last few years.

While I really would like to see more Asians in film, let's not pretend like there's some Hollywood conspiracy to keep them out. Hollywood only cares about one thing: Money. If an Asian person can make money for the studios, you can bet he/she will get a push.

A lot of those guys got big in the Asian market first though didn't they? Definitely that's the case with Jackie Chan and Jet Li. And in both their cases they only ever get martial arts roles. If so they're cross over stars, not homegrown and thus not indicative of Hollywood's ability to spot Asian American talent

I don't think its a conspiracy, it has everything to do with money. When studios get big, they take fewer risks. They perceive casting Asians in lead roles as a risk, though I believe they overestimate that risk. And as I said, I believe this leads to a self fulfilling prophecy; Asians don't get the chance to become stars so there are no Asian stars which means the top roles keep going elsewhere.

 

[loyalyolayal]

It's Dalian Wanda's money. You think they made this movie for western audiences. They're just happy they were able to sign an A-list celeb in their movie.

 

[Winter-John]

 

[groo]

Because they took an asian property with an asian female lead and changed it to a random white woman. No thanks. Cultural appropriation is real.

Japanese wearing suits is cultural appropriation.

 

[Frank23]

It might become a cult classic.

 

[Guestx]

Yeah same here, not sure who I would've cast but then again its not my job and I bet its not yours either.

A lot of those guys got big in the Asian market first though didn't they? Definitely that's the case with Jackie Chan and Jet Li. And in both their cases they only ever get martial arts roles. If so they're cross over stars, not homegrown and thus not indicative of Hollywood's ability to spot Asian American talent

Lucy Liu started out on Beverly Hills 90210. John Cho on Boston Common. Ken Jeong on random American shows. None of them were doing kung fu.

As for Ken Watanabe, I had never heard of him before The Last Samurai and aside from that film--in which he really does next to no fighting--I have never seen him do any martial arts.

I don't think its a conspiracy, it has everything to do with money. When studios get big, they take fewer risks. They perceive casting Asians in lead roles as a risk, though I believe they overestimate that risk. And as I said, I believe this leads to a self fulfilling prophecy; Asians don't get the chance to become stars so there are no Asian stars which means the top roles keep going elsewhere.

I don't really disagree. My question is just whether or not the talent is there.

Are there Asian people who can speak fluent English who have the talent and charisma to become the next Tom Cruise, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Redford, etc? Neither you nor I can name anyone so how do we know these people exist and are showing up for casting calls?

 

[Sir Galahad]

I don't care if Scarlett can't act. Just want to taste her sweet nectar. @Mike90

 

[Mike]

WTF? That bitch has a ton of black in her!

You really are going to give her shit for playing a black person because she's not pure blood negro?



I have mixed emotions about this, honestly.

On one hand, I'm sure there are plenty of talented Asians (and other minorities) out there who aren't getting their due. But on the other, I don't think we should cast minorities as some affirmative action effort.

It's like the whole "Oscars So White" debacle. Did minority-lead films not get nominated for Best Picture because of some Hollywood racism . . . or did they not get nominated because it so happened that a minority-lead film didn't happen to be one of the best EIGHT fucking films of the year? Are we supposed to nominate minorities for these categories even if they don't deserve it, just to be diverse? Should we push out some white person who gave a superior performance because some black person needs a participation prize?

She's not black. You can't take anyone brown skinned and just say close enough. They put her in blackface for the role ffs. There are a LOT of working american black actresses they could hve given the role to.


Edit: Also, that's kind of the point. No I don't want to see a black guy playing Abraham Lincoln or James Bond. They should create roles for them. When they take a role that SHOULD be played by a black person or an asian person and just cast someone else it's a slap in the face. These are the perfect roles to put them in the spotlight.

 

[Guestx]

She's not black. You can't take anyone brown skinned and just say close enough. They put her in blackface for the role ffs. There are a LOT of working american black actresses they could hve given the role to.

Okay, I just looked her up and according to Wikipedia:

"Her father, Aridio Saldaña, was Afro-Dominican, while her mother, Asalia Nazario, is Puerto Rican. Saldana also has Lebanese and Haitian roots."

Afro-Dominican? Haitian? That sounds like black folks to me.

As for putting black face on her, I don't know why, because she's as black as Malcolm X.

 

[j123]

What a shock China The Movie Starring White People didn't work out. I hope Ghost in the Shell flops too.

Let me know when Hollyweird makes a good live action anime/video game film

lol @ the Akira one with Kaneda not even knowing how to ride a motorcycle, much less not even in a gang

 

[Mike]

The fact that you can list like 4-5 asian actors doesn't mean there's no issue. You think there are zero up and coming asian, black, hispanic, etc. actors? We don't know their names because they're not getting the roles.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Lucy Liu started out on Beverly Hills 90210. John Cho on Boston Common. Ken Jeong on random American shows. None of them were doing kung fu.

Ah but that's TV. In TV you see more diversity because the budgets are smaller and the casts are larger. Glenn from The Walking Dead is a good example more recently.

As for Ken Watanabe, I had never heard of him before The Last Samurai and aside from that film--in which he really does next to no fighting--I have never seen him do any martial arts.

Come on, he was a samurai! That's definitely a stereotypical role for an Asian.

He got big first in Japan and his first big cross over movie was The Last Samurai. But he didn't make it up through Hollywood. And really, that was one movie that definitely needed Asian actors. You can't white wash Samurai in Japan.

I don't really disagree. My question is just whether or not the talent is there.

Are there Asian people who can speak fluent English who have the talent and charisma to become the next Tom Cruise, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Redford, etc? Neither you nor I can name anyone so how do we know these people exist and are showing up for casting calls?

There are always going to be fewer Asian stars than white ones but I find it hard to believe there was no decent Asian actress who could play Kusanagi.

Honestly, couldn't they find anyone else who is a better actress, Asian or not?

 

[Guestx]

The fact that you can list like 4-5 asian actors doesn't mean there's no issue. You think there are zero up and coming asian, black, hispanic, etc. actors? We don't know their names because they're not getting the roles.

Sounds like speculation.

 

[Mike]

Okay, I just looked her up and according to Wikipedia:

"Her father, Aridio Saldaña, was Afro-Dominican, while her mother, Asalia Nazario, is Puerto Rican. Saldana also has Lebanese and Haitian roots."

Afro-Dominican? Haitian? That sounds like black folks to me.

As for putting black face on her, I don't know why, because she's as black as Malcolm X.

Because she looks mixed race, and Nina Simone was not. She was fully black. Yes Saldana is mixed race, but she's not fully black. It's not like there aren't any female black American actresses. There are a lot of them, the isue as they didn't even try to find someone that was an actual close match for the role. They just cast Saldana and put blackface on her.


Seems like a role that could have easily gone to a black american actress, I'm pretty sure they're tired of only getting cast in Tyler Perry movies.

 

[Mike]

Let me know when Hollyweird makes a good live action anime/video game film

lol @ the Akira one with Kaneda not even knowing how to ride a motorcycle, much less not even in a gang

They don't know how to make them at all. I hope Battle Angel Alita s good because James Cameron is going to be involved, but I'm doubtful.