George Lucas says Hollywood won't support black films

[TigerTank77]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16525977

Thoughts?

I personally think he's race baiting to promote his movie and is full of shit.

But I'll let other people comment before I really jump in.

[TheNumber42]

Doesn't seem unbelievable to me at all. Aside from Tyler Perry movies and that sort of thing, how many movies do you see that have essentially all black actors in the main roles? There are some, but they are fairly rare.

[TigerTank77]

Originally Posted by TheNumber42

Doesn't seem unbelievable to me at all. Aside from Tyler Perry movies and that sort of thing, how many movies do you see that have essentially all black actors in the main roles? There are some, but they are fairly rare.

I see them all the time. Babershop for example.

I mean, I can understand from the standpoint of the targeted audience being relatively small, but that's not just a thing with all black movies. It's the same with all female, all gay, all... w/e. A lot of all white movies too.

But again, it's the fact that the target audience is small, and therefor the potential revenue is small. I mean there are exceptions, but for him to sit there and say "well it's because they're black" is just foolish.

[Shawn K.]

Originally Posted by TigerTank77

I see them all the time. Babershop for example.

I mean, I can understand from the standpoint of the targeted audience being relatively small, but that's not just a thing with all black movies. It's the same with all female, all gay, all... w/e. A lot of all white movies too.

But again, it's the fact that the target audience is small, and therefor the potential revenue is small. I mean there are exceptions, but for him to sit there and say "well it's because they're black" is just foolish.

Bro, Barbershop is ten years old. It was released by a major studio, but the production studio was a small independent. This is a major debate all the time at my school. Lot of Hollywood kids, lot of aspiring Hollywood kids whose parents are hollywood types and aspiring Hollywood types.

I don't know if racism is the reason there are not more BIG BUDGET major studio releases of movies with an all black, or majority black cast or not. I tend to believe its the mighty dollar like most of the other unbalanced crap that happens in this country, thats behind it.

Lucas said the studios told him they didn't know how to market this movie. The translation is black people don't have enough money in big enough numbers to justify us putting up big bucks. Put a big name white actor (not any old white actor) in it and the people with money (white folks) will come. It's not because they're black it's because they're ALL black. And remember, this is GEORGE LUCAS...yeah that George Lucas...BILLIONS at the box office, and HE can't get the movie made in Hollywood.

And you are right about the other groups. He couldn't get an all gay, (Brokeback had to cast two Ken dolls to get made), all female, or all just about any others, except white.

One of the Fuqua brothers spoke at our school last semester and said we should try to imagine any of the Mission Impossible movies, same story, same special effects, but with an all or majority black cast. He said he could guarantee the movie would not get made in Hollywood.

Whatever, my family and the families of dozens of my classmates are going to join the Occupy Redfails event.

[Shawn K.]

Originally Posted by TigerTank77

I see them all the time. Babershop for example.

I mean, I can understand from the standpoint of the targeted audience being relatively small, but that's not just a thing with all black movies. It's the same with all female, all gay, all... w/e. A lot of all white movies too.

But again, it's the fact that the target audience is small, and therefor the potential revenue is small. I mean there are exceptions, but for him to sit there and say "well it's because they're black" is just foolish.

I know what I forgot to ask. Why is a movie about a group of fliers that played a very important role in the U.S. winning World War II, considered targeted toward a black audience because the cast is black. Why aren't all Americans who might want to see a movie about World War II heroes ( think Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor, and others...dozens of others) considered the target audience?

[Baxter]

Originally Posted by Shawn K.

I know what I forgot to ask. Why is a movie about a group of fliers that played a very important role in the U.S. winning World War II, considered targeted toward a black audience because the cast is black. Why aren't all Americans who might want to see a movie about World War II heroes ( think Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor, and others...dozens of others) considered the target audience?

I dont think that's what this movie is about. Just by watching the trailer you can see that its just another movie about "black guy/people overcoming racial adversity in a historical setting". It's as much a war movie as Pearl Harbor is (which isn't saying much).

That Fuqua thing honestly pissed me off. It would make absolutely no sense having a movie like Mission Impossible have an all black cast, because there's no reason as to why there would be an all black CIA team. Blacks are a minority in the US. When you have a movie in a traditional setting (ala, not the 'hood') that turns that around, you either HAVE to make it about race (as Redtails did) or make it a comedy, because otherwise it makes no sense and audiences pick up on that. If the goddamn Honeymooners movie (based on the biggest white TV show ever) can get remade with an all black cast, any movie can.

Hollywood does love their white audiences, I'm not going to deny that. There are more than a few instances where a movie was written with an all black cast, and was changed for the sake of the audience. Having an all black cast is risky, making the backdrop an expensive war film only increases that risk. Studio execs are implied as being racists because they don't want to take that risk. It's not their fault that audiences don't want to see the same racial plotline movies rehashed again and again in different settings.

If his film does well at the box office, Lucas said he had a prequel and sequel planned.

Well of course he would.

[Maverick.]

Originally Posted by Baxter

I dont think that's what this movie is about. Just by watching the trailer you can see that its just another movie about "black guy/people overcoming racial adversity in a historical setting". It's as much a war movie as Pearl Harbor is (which isn't saying much).

That Fuqua thing honestly pissed me off. It would make absolutely no sense having a movie like Mission Impossible have an all black cast, because there's no reason as to why there would be an all black CIA team. Blacks are a minority in the US. When you have a movie in a traditional setting (ala, not the 'hood') that turns that around, you either HAVE to make it about race (as Redtails did) or make it a comedy, because otherwise it makes no sense and audiences pick up on that. If the goddamn Honeymooners movie (based on the biggest white TV show ever) can get remade with an all black cast, any movie can.

Hollywood does love their white audiences, I'm not going to deny that. There are more than a few instances where a movie was written with an all black cast, and was changed for the sake of the audience. Having an all black cast is risky, making the backdrop an expensive war film only increases that risk. Studio execs are implied as being racists because they don't want to take that risk. It's not their fault that audiences don't want to see the same racial plotline movies rehashed again and again in different settings.

Well of course he would.

I agree. But with Tyler Perry, his films which feature a predominantly black cast, does extremely well in theaters. Doesn't matter if the movie is good or not. Just as long as tickets are being bought. It isn't just with the black race. There have been movies with an all asian cast, all hispanic cast that did very well.

[TheNumber42]

Originally Posted by Joker

I agree. But with Tyler Perry, his films which feature a predominantly black cast, does extremely well in theaters. Doesn't matter if the movie is good or not. Just as long as tickets are being bought. It isn't just with the black race. There have been movies with an all asian cast, all hispanic cast that did very well.

Those are also generally much lower budget films, so the risk is less. Plus they are an established 'brand' which gives Hollywood types raging boners because it's easier to market something that already has a bit of a fan-base/is already well known.

[TigerTank77]

Originally Posted by Shawn K.

I know what I forgot to ask. Why is a movie about a group of fliers that played a very important role in the U.S. winning World War II, considered targeted toward a black audience because the cast is black. Why aren't all Americans who might want to see a movie about World War II heroes ( think Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor, and others...dozens of others) considered the target audience?

Because George Lucas is kind of on the shitlist right now for butchering Indiana Jones and trying to re-re-re-remake Star Wars. And I can tell from the trailer it's going to have a lot of historical inaccuracies. And Dubstep? Come on.

[Shawn K.]

Wait, the Mission Impossible series is supposed to represent some sort of reality ...really?

And, all of these major WW II movies were historically accurate...

And, isn't a movie about blacks over coming racism and segregation in the military during that war, historically accurate.

[Brandon]

I don't see a problem. When you're in a competing business, I think that, as long as it's legal promoting, there's nothing wrong it. I hardly see any top quality movies with black people as the main role. If he's willing to put a movie out there with his own money, then I don't care what the movie has in it and why. If I don't support it, I simply don't pay money to see it.

[Baxter]

Originally Posted by Shawn K.

Wait, the Mission Impossible series is supposed to represent some sort of reality ...really?

Nah, but I think it'd be pretty easy to figure out who a spy in Prague is when they're all black (for some strange, unexplained reason) surrounded by white people. "Oh, the spy is always only black guy". It's something audiences would pick up on. You can't even argue that anyways, because like I said, The Honeymooners is a WHITE 50s/60s classic show (JUST like Mission Impossible) that was turned into a movie with a BLACK cast. There's no reason to say race is the reason why one wouldn't get made, because a very similar one did.

If you don't want to pump million of dollars into a movie that happens to have a black cast, then their race MUST be the reason, (instead of the hundreds of other important things about a movie), good to know.

[Acheron]

Originally Posted by TigerTank77

But again, it's the fact that the target audience is small, and therefor the potential revenue is small. I mean there are exceptions, but for him to sit there and say "well it's because they're black" is just foolish.

That's exactly the point, though: the assumption on the part of Hollywood execs that a film about black people will automatically only appeal to a niche audience. Maybe that's a good business decision, maybe it isn't, but George Lucas is absolutely right to point to the racial factor.

[Shawn K.]

Originally Posted by Baxter

Nah, but I think it'd be pretty easy to figure out who a spy in Prague is when they're all black (for some strange, unexplained reason) surrounded by white people. "Oh, the spy is always only black guy". It's something audiences would pick up on. You can't even argue that anyways, because like I said, The Honeymooners is a WHITE 50s/60s classic show (JUST like Mission Impossible) that was turned into a movie with a BLACK cast. There's no reason to say race is the reason why one wouldn't get made, because a very similar one did.

If you don't want to pump million of dollars into a movie that happens to have a black cast, then their race MUST be the reason, (instead of the hundreds of other important things about a movie), good to know.

I gotta ask my elders what the simllarity between Mission Impossibe the movie and the Honeymooners the movie is.

If black folks running around blowing up stuff all over Prague would be hard to accept, then have em run around blowing up stuff in Lagos.

The point still is, the studios said they wouldn't know how to market this film, it's a film with a majority black cast, tons of movies about the subject matter with majority white casts get made. Hard to exclude race (racism or not) as a part of that equation.

Oh, and I gotta go, me and two other black dudes are sticking out like sore thumbs at a ski resort. Might be confusing a bunch of people.

[JKmadu619]

I think a part of it is that it's risky. Moral cruesaders will bitch and whine if a black man happens to get hurt more than a white man. "The black guy was punched twice while the white guy was stabbed once! Racism against blacks!!!!1111!!!One!!!!!"

http://www.destructoid.com/left-4-de...k-139960.phtml

This basically explains that fully.

The company responsible for making the game (Valve) probably isn't going to jump at including blacks as future enemies in their game for the simple fact that it stirs shit. Maybe it increased sales because of contrversy values, but at the same time it put a negative image in some people's heads, specifically those who only read headlines.

Racial diversity sadly usually ends in someone crying racism.

- Justin

[Shawn K.]

Originally Posted by Baxter

That Fuqua thing honestly pissed me off. It would make absolutely no sense having a movie like Mission Impossible have an all black cast, because there's no reason as to why there would be an all black CIA team. Blacks are a minority in the US. When you have a movie in a traditional setting (ala, not the 'hood') that turns that around, you either HAVE to make it about race (as Redtails did) or make it a comedy, because otherwise it makes no sense and audiences pick up on that. If the goddamn Honeymooners movie (based on the biggest white TV show ever) can get remade with an all black cast, any movie can.

Hollywood does love their white audiences, I'm not going to deny that. There are more than a few instances where a movie was written with an all black cast, and was changed for the sake of the audience. Having an all black cast is risky, making the backdrop an expensive war film only increases that risk. Studio execs are implied as being racists because they don't want to take that risk. It's not their fault that audiences don't want to see the same racial plotline movies rehashed again and again in different settings.

Well of course he would.

I realize that I messed up by quoting Fuqua out of context. He was saying that unless the movie is about the hood, dope, sports, gangs, or music, blacks somehow can't carry the movie. He was talking about the pervasive lack of blacks at any level of the movie making industry. From camera persons to caterers. He talked about how film makers that want to make "minority" themed movies are turning to the HBOs and Showtimes of the cable world. Think, The Wire, Treme... ensemble casts by the way, but majority black casts. He also mentioned that Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey have attained the clout to insist on minority representation at all levels of their projects. It's interesting that this is even necessary.

When comparing Mission Impossible to the Honeymooners (I Love Lucy fans will argue the "biggest" white TV show thing) it appears that "super trained", "super intelligent", "super capable" GROUP of characters must be white...poor, uneducated, struggling (but loving) CAN be black. It's ridiculous.

Not being able to have a movie with a black cast "outside of the hood" in a "traditional" setting would be funny if it wasn't so pitiful.

And audiences don't want to see the same racial plotline movies, (and apparently that's all Black Cast movies are) but they don't have any problem with "white guy as hero" movies over and over.

The reason the story of the Redtails is a "racial" movie is because its a story about a group of men who served their country despite the racism in this country. Something many folks want to stop talking about As in. "That was the past", "we've got a black president", "let's look forward, not backward", "there's no racism anymore", "things are way better." Oh yeah, so much better.

[Baxter]

Originally Posted by Shawn K.

I realize that I messed up by quoting Fuqua out of context. He was saying that unless the movie is about the hood, dope, sports, gangs, or music, blacks somehow can't carry the movie. He was talking about the pervasive lack of blacks at any level of the movie making industry. From camera persons to caterers. He talked about how film makers that want to make "minority" themed movies are turning to the HBOs and Showtimes of the cable world. Think, The Wire, Treme... ensemble casts by the way, but majority black casts. He also mentioned that Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey have attained the clout to insist on minority representation at all levels of their projects. It's interesting that this is even necessary.

When comparing Mission Impossible to the Honeymooners (I Love Lucy fans will argue the "biggest" white TV show thing) it appears that "super trained", "super intelligent", "super capable" GROUP of characters must be white...poor, uneducated, struggling (but loving) CAN be black. It's ridiculous.

Not being able to have a movie with a black cast "outside of the hood" in a "traditional" setting would be funny if it wasn't so pitiful.

And audiences don't want to see the same racial plotline movies, (and apparently that's all Black Cast movies are) but they don't have any problem with "white guy as hero" movies over and over.

The reason the story of the Redtails is a "racial" movie is because its a story about a group of men who served their country despite the racism in this country. Something many folks want to stop talking about As in. "That was the past", "we've got a black president", "let's look forward, not backward", "there's no racism anymore", "things are way better." Oh yeah, so much better.

I do agree with you on a lot of point. The Wire and Treme are still 'ghetto' related though. A black ensemble cast is obviously going to be centered in an area, or around a stereotypical black theme, because again, blacks are a minority. You wouldn't see a movie like Wall Street with an all black cast, because you cannot have a serious movie about wall street traders with no white people. The "black super group" thing I do agree with you on. The Warriors is an example of a movie that the race was changed for that reason. It doesn't matter what you think we like, the fact is that racial plotline movies are not amazingly huge box office draws. It's not something that when promoted, will bring in huge revenues, as you'll see with this movie. No one is saying we should forget about racism of the past, it has nothing to do with that.

Lucas is just a dick trying to promote his movie. He was also saying it's the first ever black action movie, somehow forgetting some like Bad Boys (even though Will Smith is basically white in Hollywoods eyes).

[Shawn K.]

Originally Posted by Baxter

I do agree with you on a lot of point. The Wire and Treme are still 'ghetto' related though. A black ensemble cast is obviously going to be centered in an area, or around a stereotypical black theme, because again, blacks are a minority. You wouldn't see a movie like Wall Street with an all black cast, because you cannot have a serious movie about wall street traders with no white people. The "black super group" thing I do agree with you on. The Warriors is an example of a movie that the race was changed for that reason. It doesn't matter what you think we like, the fact is that racial plotline movies are not amazingly huge box office draws. It's not something that when promoted, will bring in huge revenues, as you'll see with this movie. No one is saying we should forget about racism of the past, it has nothing to do with that.

Lucas is just a dick trying to promote his movie. He was also saying it's the first ever black action movie, somehow forgetting some like Bad Boys (even though Will Smith is basically white in Hollywoods eyes).

We clearly agree on as much as we disagree on. Both the Wire and Treme are ensemble casts though, and the "ghetto" related can be debated. Second season of Wire was centered on the Port of Baltimore, union corruption, and russian mobsters, the last season was the conspiracy of press and police. Granted, the underlying drugs themes in the other three seasons sounds like "ghetto related'. I don't think the people of New Orleans see Treme as ghetto themed at all. Seems to be much more Katrina recovery related across all parts of that city.

My uncle said the same thing about Will Smith.

Liking the dialogue on this thread. And the civilized nature of it. Not always the case when politics, race, or religion come up.

[Smitten]

The last all black movie I saw was The Wiz. (1978)

Watch the trailer - it'll blow your mind... or make your head explode. lol

Nuff Said