The news that Nat Wolff has been cast as Light Yagami in the US live-action Death Note movie, hasn't gone down well in some quarters.
Adam Wingard responds to critics on Twitter September 29th 2015
Fans have taken to Twitter to accuse director Adam Wingard of white-washing his movie. 'White-washing' is the phenomenon whereby ethnically diverse characters are uniformly played by white American actors.
Hence such bizarre anomalies as Jake Gyllenhaal playing the eponymous royal in Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, despite the Persian prince patently being, well Persian. Or Johnny Depp cast as First Native Tonto in Lone Ranger.
Or Nat Wolff as the Japanese Light Yagami.
But some Death Note fans haven't taken that lying down. If silence means approval, then Adam Wingard heard the disapproval loud and clear.
Hence such bizarre anomalies as Jake Gyllenhaal playing the eponymous royal in Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, despite the Persian prince patently being, well Persian. Or Johnny Depp cast as First Native Tonto in Lone Ranger.
Or Nat Wolff as the Japanese Light Yagami.
But some Death Note fans haven't taken that lying down. If silence means approval, then Adam Wingard heard the disapproval loud and clear.
Death Note Fans Take to Twitter to Accuse Wingard of Whitewashing Kira
NB Some Tweets re-arranged from the order displayed on Twitter, in order to boost clarity in reading the exchange.
Original conversation may be found on September 29th/30th 2015.
Original conversation may be found on September 29th/30th 2015.
This single thread represents just a sample of the 'white-washing Death Note' protests being posted across Twitter over the past couple of days.
They've been coming thick and fast, ever since Nat Wolff as Light Yagami's actor in the US remake of Death Note was first announced. Though we should clarify that Wolff's casting isn't yet finalized.
Variety magazine, which revealed the titbit (Justin Kroll, ‘Paper Towns” Nat Wolff to Star in Adam Wingard’s ‘Death Note’, Variety, September 29th 2015), merely stated that the actor was engaged in 'final negotiations' for the part. That isn't cut, dried and sealed.
Nor have we received news since that a contract has been signed.
However, the debate doesn't appear to be dying down any time soon, as these two Tweets - picked at random from my Twitter stream - demonstrate.
They've been coming thick and fast, ever since Nat Wolff as Light Yagami's actor in the US remake of Death Note was first announced. Though we should clarify that Wolff's casting isn't yet finalized.
Variety magazine, which revealed the titbit (Justin Kroll, ‘Paper Towns” Nat Wolff to Star in Adam Wingard’s ‘Death Note’, Variety, September 29th 2015), merely stated that the actor was engaged in 'final negotiations' for the part. That isn't cut, dried and sealed.
Nor have we received news since that a contract has been signed.
However, the debate doesn't appear to be dying down any time soon, as these two Tweets - picked at random from my Twitter stream - demonstrate.
 @caaatmilk October 1st 2015 |  @iconiclast October 1st 2015 |
Not to mention articles like that by Melissa Leon in The Daily Beast - Hollywood’s Anime Whitewashing Epidemic: Nat Wolff to Star in 'Death Note' (September 30th 2015).
A guest writer is gearing up to discuss this issue in more depth on Death Note News, but in the meantime, what are your thoughts about this (actual or perceived) white-washing of Light Yagami in the US Death Note live action movie?
And, for that matter, which quarter Japanese, English, Russian and maybe French or Italian actor should play L? That being his ethnicity as described in Death Note 13: How to Read.
Or don't you consider this to be an issue at all?
Vancouver born Osric Chau didn't seem to have a problem, when he gushed over the movie. The Asian-Canadian (mother Malaysian; father from Hong Kong) actor's sentiments were duly reTweeted by Adam Wingard.
And, for that matter, which quarter Japanese, English, Russian and maybe French or Italian actor should play L? That being his ethnicity as described in Death Note 13: How to Read.
Or don't you consider this to be an issue at all?
Vancouver born Osric Chau didn't seem to have a problem, when he gushed over the movie. The Asian-Canadian (mother Malaysian; father from Hong Kong) actor's sentiments were duly reTweeted by Adam Wingard.
@OsricChau September 30th 2015
Chau's Tweet inspired a vibrant response from the denizens of Twitter, worth the read to snap the current Zeitgeist.
Do leave your comments below in the usual way.
