‘Hellboy’ casting prompts backlash over ‘whitewashing’
NEW YORK (AP) – A Hollywood film yet again finds itself responding to a social-media outcry over the casting of a Caucasian actor in a role that was originally Asian-American.
British actor Ed Skrein earlier this week joined the cast of the “Hellboy” reboot “Rise of the Blood Queen.” His character Ben Daimio is Japanese-American in Mike Mignola’s “Hellboy” comics, and many are objecting to the role not going to an Asian-American actor.
The backlash follows previous “whitewashing” controversies, including the castings of Emma Stone in “Aloha” and Scarlett Johansson in “Ghost in the Shell.”
The film’s distributor, Lionsgate, declined comment. A representative for Skrein didn’t respond to queries.