The new Hellboy reboot is stirring up controversy even before it starts filming.
Earlier this week, British actor Ed Skrein joined the cast as Ben Daimio in Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen.
The character is Japanese-American in Mike Mignola’s comic version and his heritage is a central point to the character’s backstory.
Whitewashing? The new Hellboy stirred up controversy when British actor Ed Skrein joined the cast as Japanese-American character Ben Daimio in Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen
Daimio’s grandmother was a Japanese Imperial assassin in World War II, so the casting of a Japanese actor seems imperative.
Many objected to the role not going to an Asian-American actor and called it another example of Hollywood ‘whitewashing’ Asian characters.
‘I guess they want this to fail,’ said actress Cindy Chu on Twitter.
Others chimed in with a mixture of outrage and confusion.
Racial objections: Many objected to the role not going to an Asian-American actor and called it another example of Hollywood ‘whitewashing’ Asian characters
Japanese history: Comic book character Diamio’s grandmother was a Japanese Imperial assassin in World War II, so the casting of a Japanese actor seems imperative
‘Here we go again,’ one twitter user lamented. ‘Why Hollywood do you keep forcing me to boycott your films.’
Another user took a more sarcastic approach with their criticism:
‘Introducing the #Hellboy reboot’s Ben Daimio, whose grandmother was a Japanese spy named the Crimson Lotus. Wait, that can’t be right…’
Most of the tweets ended with the hashtags #whitewash and #hellboy
Not happy: ‘Here we go again,’ one twitter user lamented. ‘Why Hollywood do you keep forcing me to boycott your films?’
Another Twitter user was tongue-in-cheek: ‘Introducing the #Hellboy reboot’s Ben Daimio, whose grandmother was a Japanese spy named the Crimson Lotus. Wait, that can’t be right…’
Another flop? Another chimed in: ‘Hollywood, when will you finally accept the fact that other tan being a bad idea, #whitewashing does not MAKE YOU MONEY’
Another chimed in: ‘Hollywood, when will you finally accept the fact that other tan being a bad idea, #whitewashing does not MAKE YOU MONEY.’
Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen set to be the third film in the franchise, which was originally directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Lionsgate, he distribution company tied to the film, declined to comment on the casting, nor did a representative for Skrein.
‘Decimates Asian American characters’: Another user took a more sociological approach, highlighting the impact it has on Asian representation
Not impressed: Asian actor Simu Liu called out the industry for not even auditioning Asian-American actors
This isn’t the first time Hollywood has been accused to whitewashing Asian characters.
Emma Stone’s casting as a half-Hawaiian, half-Chinese Air Force pilot in Cameron Crowe’s Aloha created controversy at the time and the film went on to bomb at the box office.
Scarlett Johansson’s part as the cyborg protagonist in the Japanese anime remake of Ghost in the Shell caused similar outcry.
This week’s Netflix release, the Japanese manga adaptation Death Note also drew criticism for transferring a Japanese story to Seattle without any Asian actors.
Though Masamune Shirow, director of the original Ghost in the Shell, defended Johansson’s casting, many lambasted the choice.
Not new: Emma Stone’s casting as a half-Hawaiian, half-Chinese Air Force pilot in Aloha and Scarlett Johansson’s part in the Japanese anime remake of Ghost in the Shell caused outcry
When the $110 million film flopped in April, Paramount Pictures said the casting conversation impacted reviews , and thus its disappointing box-office debut.
Studies have shown that diverse casts often lead to better box office. And yet the top 100 films of 2015, a USC study found, contained not one leading role for an Asian-American.
That has led to increasing frustration for many prominent Asian-American actors and produced some clever parodies.
A New York digital strategist named William Yu, inspired by the OscarsSoWhite backlash, created the website and hashtag StarringJohnCho.
In photo-shopped movie posters, he imagines Cho single-handedly filling the Asian-American leading-man void in everything from The Martian to Me Before You.
‘With every instance of whitewashing,’ Yu posted in response to the Skrein casting, ‘an (Asian-American) is subliminally told that they are not worth attention, not worth a place in this society.’
Coming soon! Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen set to be the third film in the franchise, which was originally directed by Guillermo del Toro