As Election Looms, Politics Can Seep Into Movies Whether Hollywood Likes It or Not
28.03.2024 - 14:23
/ variety.com
Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Civil War,” the A24 action-thriller about a violently divided United States, isn’t offering up much in the way of escapism. Though it takes place in the dystopian future, it not-so-subtly feeds into the blue-state/red-state rift that’s sure to widen as the race for the White House heats up. That strategy is prominent in the movie’s patriotic-tinged marketing materials, which include a blood-soaked trailer featuring a missile that blows up the Lincoln Memorial, a poster of soldiers sandbagging the Statue of Liberty’s flame and references to successionist forces of California and Texas.
Yet elsewhere in Hollywood, movie studios are trying desperately to steer clear of promotional efforts that seem even remotely political — lest they find themselves unwittingly embroiled in a cultural firestorm. It’s a fair concern. Long before the country started preparing for one of the most polarizing presidential elections in its history, several movies were ensnared in partisan debates about creative choices they never predicted would spark controversy.
That was the case with Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” remake, which suffered blowback because of racist objections to the casting of Black actor Halle Bailey as Ariel. Ditto Pixar’s 2022 spinoff “Lightyear” (the offender was a same-sex kiss) and 2023’s “Barbie” (a cartoon map depicting Asia). In some instances, the provocation was accidental; in others, such as Disney’s animated “Strange World” (a fantasy adventure with a gay protagonist), attempts to be inclusive instead revealed dividing lines in public opinion.
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