A white actor, Billy Magnussen is starring in Birth Of The Dragon, a film depicting the legendary fight between Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man. People aren’t happy.
Deadline revealed the first trailer for Birth Of The Dragon at the Toronto International Film festival.
Whilst Bruce Lee is played by Philip Ng and Wong Jack Man is played by Yu Xia, the film centres around Billy Magnussen, who plays Steve Mckie, which is basically Steve McQueen. Magnussen’s character is one of Lee’s students who brings the two legendary martial artists together.
Since the release of the trailer, people were quick to recognise another whitewashing scandal.
Twitter user Andrew Wheeler wrote “thank God they made up a white person to centre this Bruce Lee biopic on, or I wouldn’t know how to watch this film” whilst the aptly named Twitter user Angry Asian Man tweeted, because every movie — even a film about Bruce Frickin’ Lee — needs a white guy as the central character”.
Hollywood recently came under fire for whitewashing after starring Matt Damon in Zhang Yimou’s The Great Wall.
HOW do you make a movie that is supposed to be about Bruce Lee, where there’s a white lead? HOW https://t.co/iv2l6sFL4m via @deadline
— Film School troll (@Moon_Clinic) September 16, 2016
Thank God they made up a white person to centre this Bruce Lee biopic on, or I wouldn’t know how to watch this film. https://t.co/grqumjw2ut
— Andrew Wheeler (@Wheeler) September 17, 2016
Because every movie — even a film about Bruce Frickin’ Lee — needs a white guy as the central character. https://t.co/vyS1fNn4GN
— Angry Asian Man (@angryasianman) September 14, 2016
Trailer for Bruce Lee biopic about a white guy. There is no limitation as my only limitation for my hatred for this. https://t.co/CReb6UEi86
— Aaron Stewart-Ahn (@somebadideas) September 15, 2016
