Hollywood has struck again, further perpetuating the idea that all Spanish accents are created equal, and every Hispanic is a Latino. Universal Pictures released the first trailer for “The 355” starring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Diane Kruger, Penélope Cruz and Fan Bingbing. As the trailer unfolds, with action that’s a mix of “Ocean’s Eleven” and “The Bourne Identity,” the first look showcases all the protagonists’ ethnic backgrounds as a dangling carrot to our “woke” generation.
In a voiceover, Nyong’o describes the intelligence agencies the women work for — American (Chastain), British (Nyong’o), German (Kruger), Colombian (Cruz), Chinese (Fan). Furthermore, the film’s official synopsis describes Cruz’s Graciela as a “skilled Colombian psychologist,” alongside Kruger’s Marie (“badass German agent”).
The use of the American and British cultural identities allows for a broader interpretation of what each of the women’s characters is, and what they may look like.
In a voiceover, Nyong’o describes the intelligence agencies the women work for — American (Chastain), British (Nyong’o), German (Kruger), Colombian (Cruz), Chinese (Fan). Furthermore, the film’s official synopsis describes Cruz’s Graciela as a “skilled Colombian psychologist,” alongside Kruger’s Marie (“badass German agent”).
The use of the American and British cultural identities allows for a broader interpretation of what each of the women’s characters is, and what they may look like.
- 10/7/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, BET will air six episodes of “The Good Fight,” and Netflix announced a premiere date for “Julie and the Phantoms.”
First Looks
Netflix released a trailer for Sam Jay’s comedy special, “3 In The Morning,” shot at The Masquerade in Atlanta and set to launch Aug. 4. In her first one-hour special for the streamer, the comedian jokes about traveling with her partner and experiences related to her sexuality. Watch the trailer below.
Quibi revealed a trailer for its new sci-fi series, “Don’t Look Deeper,” which premieres July 27. The show follows a high school senior named Aisha (Helena Howard) who struggles with the concept that she might not be quite human. The series, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, also stars Don Cheadle and Emily Mortimer. Hardwicke also serves as an executive producer, along with Jeffrey Lieber, Charlie McDonnell, Kathleen Grace, Laura Schwartz, Jed Weintrob and Julina Tatlock.
First Looks
Netflix released a trailer for Sam Jay’s comedy special, “3 In The Morning,” shot at The Masquerade in Atlanta and set to launch Aug. 4. In her first one-hour special for the streamer, the comedian jokes about traveling with her partner and experiences related to her sexuality. Watch the trailer below.
Quibi revealed a trailer for its new sci-fi series, “Don’t Look Deeper,” which premieres July 27. The show follows a high school senior named Aisha (Helena Howard) who struggles with the concept that she might not be quite human. The series, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, also stars Don Cheadle and Emily Mortimer. Hardwicke also serves as an executive producer, along with Jeffrey Lieber, Charlie McDonnell, Kathleen Grace, Laura Schwartz, Jed Weintrob and Julina Tatlock.
- 7/21/2020
- by Eli Countryman
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been two years since the drama surrounding the potential film, “Rub & Tug,” gained headlines. At that time, the film was best known because it was set to star Scarlett Johansson in the incredible true story of a trans man in 1970s Pittsburgh. As you might expect, people were upset at the idea of Johansson, a cis-female, playing a trans man in a feature film and the actress eventually departed the project.
Continue reading Our Lady J To Write ‘Rub & Tug’ TV Series With A Trans Lead After Scarlett Johansson Drama at The Playlist.
Continue reading Our Lady J To Write ‘Rub & Tug’ TV Series With A Trans Lead After Scarlett Johansson Drama at The Playlist.
- 7/21/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
New Regency will redevelop “Rub & Tug” as a TV series that will star a trans actor in the lead role of Dante “Tex” Gill.
“Rub & Tug,” which had initially been developed as a feature, caused a firestorm two years ago when it cast Scarlett Johansson to play Gill, a trans massage parlor owner in Pittsburgh in the 1970s and ’80s who identified as a man. After severe backlash that the role of Dante should go to a trans actor, Johansson dropped out of the film, which clouded its future.
The TV version will star a trans actor in the role of Dante. Our Lady J. will write the pilot. Cindy Bruno Gill, Gill’s widow, as well as journalist and author Brendan Koerner, will serve as consultants on the project. Sam Hanson and Ed Rubin will run point for New Regency Television International. Ethan Erwin and Hal Sadoff...
“Rub & Tug,” which had initially been developed as a feature, caused a firestorm two years ago when it cast Scarlett Johansson to play Gill, a trans massage parlor owner in Pittsburgh in the 1970s and ’80s who identified as a man. After severe backlash that the role of Dante should go to a trans actor, Johansson dropped out of the film, which clouded its future.
The TV version will star a trans actor in the role of Dante. Our Lady J. will write the pilot. Cindy Bruno Gill, Gill’s widow, as well as journalist and author Brendan Koerner, will serve as consultants on the project. Sam Hanson and Ed Rubin will run point for New Regency Television International. Ethan Erwin and Hal Sadoff...
- 7/21/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
As discussions of onscreen representation have become more common in recent years, actors have been forced to reckon with the implications of portraying members of groups to which they do not belong. Emma Stone made the Golden Globes highlight reel by yelling “I’m sorry!” for playing a woman of Chinese descent, Scarlett Johansson opted not to star in “Rub & Tug” following backlash over her playing a transgender man, and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” star Darren Criss has vowed to no longer play gay men.
Now there’s Matt Smith, who stars as Robert Mapplethorpe in “Mapplethorpe.” The actor was joined by producer Eliza Dushku to discuss the biopic on Valentine’s Day, eventually addressing the question of whether the homosexual photographer should have been played by a gay man.
“I think your sexual orientation, or your sex and your choices outside of work, shouldn’t influence — in either way,...
Now there’s Matt Smith, who stars as Robert Mapplethorpe in “Mapplethorpe.” The actor was joined by producer Eliza Dushku to discuss the biopic on Valentine’s Day, eventually addressing the question of whether the homosexual photographer should have been played by a gay man.
“I think your sexual orientation, or your sex and your choices outside of work, shouldn’t influence — in either way,...
- 2/16/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Principal Communications Group partners Paul Pflug, Melissa Zukerman and Hans-Dieter Kopal have teamed with powerhouse cyber intelligence firm Edgeworth Security to launch Foresight Solutions Group.
The venture is six months in the making, but it launches at a timely moment and fills a clear industry need. The goal is to help studios, agencies and other corporate entities get ahead of crises where past inappropriate social media messaging and other indiscretions are unearthed and damage everything from movies to TV series, to the Academy Awards. Foresight is going to institute a vetting process, as well as a playbook to proactively handle those crises.
Celebrities, and their movies and series projects, are blowing up weekly because of articles and viral spreading of past bad behavior or inflammatory social media missives that reflect horribly in the optics of the #MeToo moment. The service will look to sign clients in all facets of entertainment,...
The venture is six months in the making, but it launches at a timely moment and fills a clear industry need. The goal is to help studios, agencies and other corporate entities get ahead of crises where past inappropriate social media messaging and other indiscretions are unearthed and damage everything from movies to TV series, to the Academy Awards. Foresight is going to institute a vetting process, as well as a playbook to proactively handle those crises.
Celebrities, and their movies and series projects, are blowing up weekly because of articles and viral spreading of past bad behavior or inflammatory social media missives that reflect horribly in the optics of the #MeToo moment. The service will look to sign clients in all facets of entertainment,...
- 2/4/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Bryan Cranston has weighed in on a long-running debate in the film industry about representation on screen, responding to a question about whether able-bodied actors should play disabled individuals in films and TV.
Cranston, who plays a quadriplegic in “The Upside” opposite Kevin Hart and Nicole Kidman opening this weekend, defended his casting to the British Press Association.
“As actors we’re asked to play other people,” Cranston said via the BBC. “If I, as a straight, older person, and I’m wealthy, I’m very fortunate, does that mean I can’t play a person who is not wealthy, does that mean I can’t play a homosexual?”
Also Read: Bryan Cranston Is Game for 'Breaking Bad' Movie But Says Walter White Is Definitely Dead (Video)
Cranston said his casting came down to a “business decision” and that playing the part was ultimately a “case of catch-...
Cranston, who plays a quadriplegic in “The Upside” opposite Kevin Hart and Nicole Kidman opening this weekend, defended his casting to the British Press Association.
“As actors we’re asked to play other people,” Cranston said via the BBC. “If I, as a straight, older person, and I’m wealthy, I’m very fortunate, does that mean I can’t play a person who is not wealthy, does that mean I can’t play a homosexual?”
Also Read: Bryan Cranston Is Game for 'Breaking Bad' Movie But Says Walter White Is Definitely Dead (Video)
Cranston said his casting came down to a “business decision” and that playing the part was ultimately a “case of catch-...
- 1/8/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
It's a Hollywood tale as old as time at this point: a story about a marginalized individual is adapted as a film or TV series, but the main character is inevitably, and disappointingly, played by a white performer.
Examples include the 2016 backlash to Scarlett Johansson's starring role in Ghost in the Shell, in which she plays an Asian character - and again in 2018, when Johansson announced she'd be adapting and starring in a film titled Rub & Tug, which follows crime boss Dante "Tex" Gill, a transman who operated massage parlors and prostitution rings in Pittsburgh in the 1970s. Jack Whitehall, a straight man, also faced criticism this year when he was cast to play Disney's first openly gay character in Jungle Cruise.
Now, Gossip Girl alum Penn Badgley is calling out the privileged white stars who he says shouldn't be accepting these roles in the first place; instead,...
Examples include the 2016 backlash to Scarlett Johansson's starring role in Ghost in the Shell, in which she plays an Asian character - and again in 2018, when Johansson announced she'd be adapting and starring in a film titled Rub & Tug, which follows crime boss Dante "Tex" Gill, a transman who operated massage parlors and prostitution rings in Pittsburgh in the 1970s. Jack Whitehall, a straight man, also faced criticism this year when he was cast to play Disney's first openly gay character in Jungle Cruise.
Now, Gossip Girl alum Penn Badgley is calling out the privileged white stars who he says shouldn't be accepting these roles in the first place; instead,...
- 12/25/2018
- by Quinn Keaney
- Popsugar.com
The 13th edition of the Black List has been unveiled, and it might include a future Best Picture winner: Four of the 10 most recent winners of the Academy’s biggest prize were featured on the list, as were 10 of the last 22 Best Screenplay winners. More than 300 executives and financiers vote on the list, which is compiled by Franklin Leonard.
Scripts had to receive at least seven mentions to be included. This year’s edition features the highest proportion of screenplays by and/or about women since the Black List’s inception.
36 Votes:
“Frat Boy Genius” by Elissa Karasik
A disgruntled employee of Snapchat tells the rise of her former Stanford classmate, preeminent douchebag and current boss Evan Spiegel.
35 Votes:
“King Richard” by Zach Baylin
The true story of Richard Williams, the hard-nosed and uncompromising father of tennis prodigies turned superstars, Venus and Serena Williams.
34 Votes:
“Get Home Safe” by Christy Hall...
Scripts had to receive at least seven mentions to be included. This year’s edition features the highest proportion of screenplays by and/or about women since the Black List’s inception.
36 Votes:
“Frat Boy Genius” by Elissa Karasik
A disgruntled employee of Snapchat tells the rise of her former Stanford classmate, preeminent douchebag and current boss Evan Spiegel.
35 Votes:
“King Richard” by Zach Baylin
The true story of Richard Williams, the hard-nosed and uncompromising father of tennis prodigies turned superstars, Venus and Serena Williams.
34 Votes:
“Get Home Safe” by Christy Hall...
- 12/17/2018
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
The Black List 2018 is here — a survey of the best screenplays that have not yet gone into production.
This year, the 73 films included films about Serena and Venus Williams’ hard-driving father (Zach Baylin’s “King Richard”), the sexual assault case against former NBA star Kobe Bryant (Mike Schneider’s “Mamba”) and Cody Brotter’s “Drudge” about The Drudge Report founder Matt Drudge and how he broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
The list also includes Emmy winner Lena Waithe’s “Queen & Slim,” a disgruntled Snapchat employee’s account of founder Evan Spiegel (Elissa Karasik’s “Frat Boy Genius”) and Gary Spinelli’s “Rub & Tug” a project that has been in limbo since Scarlett Johansson’s exit from the project because of objections to her playing a trans man.
Also Read: Black List Writer Julia Cox to Adapt Kristin Hannah's 'The Great Alone' for TriStar (Exclusive)
The Black List...
This year, the 73 films included films about Serena and Venus Williams’ hard-driving father (Zach Baylin’s “King Richard”), the sexual assault case against former NBA star Kobe Bryant (Mike Schneider’s “Mamba”) and Cody Brotter’s “Drudge” about The Drudge Report founder Matt Drudge and how he broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
The list also includes Emmy winner Lena Waithe’s “Queen & Slim,” a disgruntled Snapchat employee’s account of founder Evan Spiegel (Elissa Karasik’s “Frat Boy Genius”) and Gary Spinelli’s “Rub & Tug” a project that has been in limbo since Scarlett Johansson’s exit from the project because of objections to her playing a trans man.
Also Read: Black List Writer Julia Cox to Adapt Kristin Hannah's 'The Great Alone' for TriStar (Exclusive)
The Black List...
- 12/17/2018
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
There's not always a lot of distance between celebration and relief.
Less than 24 hours after FX announced a second season of the transgender-centric TV series Pose — the groundbreaking show created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals that features the largest recurring cast of Lgbtq characters ever for a scripted series — Scarlett Johansson announced that she was exiting Rub & Tug, a film in which she was set to star as Dante Tex Gill, a transgender man.
The A-list actress issued a statement to Out.com, offering that she had "decided to respectfully withdraw my participation ...
Less than 24 hours after FX announced a second season of the transgender-centric TV series Pose — the groundbreaking show created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals that features the largest recurring cast of Lgbtq characters ever for a scripted series — Scarlett Johansson announced that she was exiting Rub & Tug, a film in which she was set to star as Dante Tex Gill, a transgender man.
The A-list actress issued a statement to Out.com, offering that she had "decided to respectfully withdraw my participation ...
- 7/14/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Scarlett Johansson has dropped out of the film Rub & Tug following a backlash over the actress’ controversial casting in the role of a real-life mob boss who was born a woman but identified as a man.
“In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project,” Johansson said in a statement to Out Friday.
“Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making...
“In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project,” Johansson said in a statement to Out Friday.
“Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making...
- 7/14/2018
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
• Out Scarlett Johansson leaves the upcoming trans drama Rub & Tug post-backlash
• THR In unrelated news Scarlett is finally getting her Black Widow solo movie. Australian Cate Shortland (Lore) will direct, beating out finalists Amma Asante and Maggie Betts.
• MovieMaker the 25 coolest film festivals in the world (the giant A list fests are not listed in favor of quirkier ones that use their location in interesting ways.)
• Gizmodo only one Blockbuster video store is still open in the United States!
More after the jump including Die Hard, Danai Gurira, Tab Hunter, Joss Whedon, If Beale Street Could Talk, West Side Story revival, and more...
• THR In unrelated news Scarlett is finally getting her Black Widow solo movie. Australian Cate Shortland (Lore) will direct, beating out finalists Amma Asante and Maggie Betts.
• MovieMaker the 25 coolest film festivals in the world (the giant A list fests are not listed in favor of quirkier ones that use their location in interesting ways.)
• Gizmodo only one Blockbuster video store is still open in the United States!
More after the jump including Die Hard, Danai Gurira, Tab Hunter, Joss Whedon, If Beale Street Could Talk, West Side Story revival, and more...
- 7/13/2018
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Scarlett Johansson’s withdrawal from Rub & Tug, in which she’d been cast as a transgender man, is a game changer in Hollywood’s portrayal of the transgender community, GLAAD said today.
The Lgtbq media-advocacy organization also cited “the transgender voices” who spoke out about the film. “Hollywood changed how Americans understand gay and lesbian lives,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement, “and TV is starting to do the same for transgender people with authentic transgender portrayals being major hits with critics and audiences. The film industry has a real opportunity to do the same.”
Earlier today, Johansson announced that she was leaving the Rupert Sanders-directed biopic project about Pittsburgh massage parlor owner and crime kingpin Dante “Tex” Gill. The real-life Gill was born Lois Jean Gill but identified as a man.
The actress’ decision followed a loud reaction from the transgender community and others,...
The Lgtbq media-advocacy organization also cited “the transgender voices” who spoke out about the film. “Hollywood changed how Americans understand gay and lesbian lives,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement, “and TV is starting to do the same for transgender people with authentic transgender portrayals being major hits with critics and audiences. The film industry has a real opportunity to do the same.”
Earlier today, Johansson announced that she was leaving the Rupert Sanders-directed biopic project about Pittsburgh massage parlor owner and crime kingpin Dante “Tex” Gill. The real-life Gill was born Lois Jean Gill but identified as a man.
The actress’ decision followed a loud reaction from the transgender community and others,...
- 7/13/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Scarlett Johansson will not play a transgender character on the big screen after all. Last week, news that she would play real-life transgender man Dante "Tex" Gill in a new movie called Rub & Tug sparked a backlash from members of the Lgbtq community and their supporters, who felt her casting stole an acting opportunity from transgender actors and highlighted an ongoing problem of lack of diversity in film. "In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project," Johansson said in a statement to Out magazine on Friday. "Our cultural...
- 7/13/2018
- E! Online
Scarlett Johansson has withdrawn from playing a transgender man in the upcoming film Rub & Tug after facing backlash for taking on the project.
“In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project,” Johansson, 33, told Out.com in a statement on Friday. “Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive. I have great admiration and love for the trans community and...
“In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project,” Johansson, 33, told Out.com in a statement on Friday. “Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive. I have great admiration and love for the trans community and...
- 7/13/2018
- by Dana Rose Falcone
- PEOPLE.com
In early July, Scarlett Johansson faced quite a bit of backlash when news broke of her next big role: she had signed on to play a transgender man in Rub & Tug. The film would tell the true story of Dante "Tex" Gill, who prospered in Pittsburgh's massage parlor and prostitution business in the '70s and '80s. After news of the casting surfaced, the internet was incensed. Many transgender actors vocalized their unhappiness, since Hollywood has a history of excluding transgender talent from telling the stories they would arguably be best equipped to tell. To make matters worse, Johansson used this fact as ammunition in her statement, not realizing that it was a historically problematic Hollywood precedent. "Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman's reps for comment," her rep said.
Finally, after more than a week of heated outcries against the casting,...
Finally, after more than a week of heated outcries against the casting,...
- 7/13/2018
- by Ryan Roschke
- Popsugar.com
The actor has exited the fact-based drama Rub & Tug after the casting angered trans actors and activists
Scarlett Johansson has dropped out of her role in fact-based drama Rub & Tug after backlash from the trans community.
The actor was set to play the role of crime kingpin Dante “Tex” Gill, who was born Lois Jean Gill but identified as a man. He used his massage parlors as a front for prostitution.
Scarlett Johansson has dropped out of her role in fact-based drama Rub & Tug after backlash from the trans community.
The actor was set to play the role of crime kingpin Dante “Tex” Gill, who was born Lois Jean Gill but identified as a man. He used his massage parlors as a front for prostitution.
- 7/13/2018
- by Benjamin Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
Scarlett Johansson, who endured cries of whitewashing when she played the lead in last year’s Ghost in the Shell, this time has given in to public pressure. The actress today exited Rub & Tug, the Rupert Sanders-directed film in which she was to play the trans owner of a massage parlor.
Johansson’s role in the project was met with immediate backlash from the transgender community and others who objected to her casting. Following the initial uproar, the actress responded with a statement to Bustle.com which read, “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.”
Well, now it looks like Johannson has had a change of heart. In a statement to Out.com, Johannson said, “In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project.
Johansson’s role in the project was met with immediate backlash from the transgender community and others who objected to her casting. Following the initial uproar, the actress responded with a statement to Bustle.com which read, “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.”
Well, now it looks like Johannson has had a change of heart. In a statement to Out.com, Johannson said, “In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project.
- 7/13/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka and Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Scarlett Johansson has exited the movie “Rub and Tug” after backlash over the actress playing a transgender man.
“In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project,” Johansson told Out Magazine. “Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive. I have great admiration and love for the trans community and am grateful that the conversation regarding inclusivity in Hollywood continues. According to GLAAD, Lgbtq+ characters dropped 40% in 2017 from the previous year, with no representation of trans characters in any major studio release.
“While I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dante’s story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person,...
“In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project,” Johansson told Out Magazine. “Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive. I have great admiration and love for the trans community and am grateful that the conversation regarding inclusivity in Hollywood continues. According to GLAAD, Lgbtq+ characters dropped 40% in 2017 from the previous year, with no representation of trans characters in any major studio release.
“While I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dante’s story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person,...
- 7/13/2018
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Dante “Tex” Gill, a transgender massage parlor owner whose portrayal by Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming film “Rub & Tug” has prompted a strong backlash, “would be laughing his ass off” at the debate, says Gill’s cousin, Barry Paris.
“That wouldn’t be as important as how he wanted the world to see him,” Paris, a longtime film critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, told TheWrap on Thursday.
Paris said he didn’t know for certain how Gill, who died in 2003 at the age of 72, would have reacted to Johansson or any actress playing him on film.
Also Read: Cate Shortland to Direct 'Black Widow' Movie for Marvel
“I’d say it’s a toss-up, but I think it’s slightly more likely he would have liked to be played by a man because he identified as a man,” Paris told TheWrap. “I’m sure he would have...
“That wouldn’t be as important as how he wanted the world to see him,” Paris, a longtime film critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, told TheWrap on Thursday.
Paris said he didn’t know for certain how Gill, who died in 2003 at the age of 72, would have reacted to Johansson or any actress playing him on film.
Also Read: Cate Shortland to Direct 'Black Widow' Movie for Marvel
“I’d say it’s a toss-up, but I think it’s slightly more likely he would have liked to be played by a man because he identified as a man,” Paris told TheWrap. “I’m sure he would have...
- 7/12/2018
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
Now that the anxiety over the rescue of a youth soccer team from a flooded cave in Thailand has subsided, it’s time for the jokes — and the wags on Twitter apparently feel they’ve found the ideal butt in Scarlett Johansson.
Following news Tuesday that all 12 players and their coach had been rescued — and that Hollywood has already begun its inevitable rush to turn the real-life drama into a film — social media jokers turned its eyes to Johansson. And essentially made the same joke about the actress, who has more than once been criticized for seeming to take on roles outside of her race and gender.
“Congrats to Scarlett Johansson who just got cast as all 12 Thai soccer players,” one Twitter wiseacre chimed in.
Also Read: Scarlett Johansson Compared to 'Yellowface' Mickey Rooney for Trans Film Role
(Very) similarly, there was also, “Scarlett Johansson to play all 12 Thai boys in upcoming rescue thriller.
Following news Tuesday that all 12 players and their coach had been rescued — and that Hollywood has already begun its inevitable rush to turn the real-life drama into a film — social media jokers turned its eyes to Johansson. And essentially made the same joke about the actress, who has more than once been criticized for seeming to take on roles outside of her race and gender.
“Congrats to Scarlett Johansson who just got cast as all 12 Thai soccer players,” one Twitter wiseacre chimed in.
Also Read: Scarlett Johansson Compared to 'Yellowface' Mickey Rooney for Trans Film Role
(Very) similarly, there was also, “Scarlett Johansson to play all 12 Thai boys in upcoming rescue thriller.
- 7/12/2018
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSClaude Lanzmann, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Satre, 1967. Photo via Rithy Panh.Shoah director and singular cinematic chronicler of the Holocaust, Claude Lanzmann has sadly left us. Daniel Lewis provides a comprehensive remembrance for The New York Times. Last year, we wrote on his last five films films, Napalm and The Four Sisters, a quartet of documentaries.Recommended VIEWINGEven through his perhaps more artistically compromised mainland blockbusters, we remain dedicated fans of Tsui Hark's daring, punk cinematic vision. We especially highly regard his Detective Dee films, and thus are very excited for the forthcoming Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings, which has received this ecstatic new trailer.An oddly modern trailer showcasing the new gorgeous restoration of Jacques Rivette's first masterpiece (starring Anna Karina!), The Nun (1966). In a qualitative sense, Yorgos Lanthimos' films...
- 7/11/2018
- MUBI
On the heels of controversy involving Scarlett Johansson's upcoming role, a cast of trans men have issued a creative—and clear—response. The Golden Globe-nominated actress recently came under fire after it was revealed she had been cast in Rupert Sanders' Rub & Tug, a drama centered on Dante "Tex" Gill, who notoriously ran a string of massage parlors in 1970s Pittsburgh that were believed to be fronts for brothels. According to Gill's obituary, Gill was assigned female at birth, but preferred to be known as a man, was called Mr. Gill, dressed in men's suits and was believed to have undergone the initial stages of gender reassignment. Johansson has...
- 7/11/2018
- E! Online
Protests continue against Johansson’s role as massage parlour owner Dante ‘Tex’ Gill, who identified as a man
A group of trans male actors have appeared in a video mocking Scarlett Johansson and her casting in Rub & Tug, a biopic of mob-connected massage parlour owner Dante “Tex” Gill.
Gill – born Lois Jean Gill – died in 2003 and was widely reported at the time to have identified as male. An obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggested that the underworld figure “may even have undergone the initial stages of a sex change”.
A group of trans male actors have appeared in a video mocking Scarlett Johansson and her casting in Rub & Tug, a biopic of mob-connected massage parlour owner Dante “Tex” Gill.
Gill – born Lois Jean Gill – died in 2003 and was widely reported at the time to have identified as male. An obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggested that the underworld figure “may even have undergone the initial stages of a sex change”.
- 7/11/2018
- by Guardian film
- The Guardian - Film News
A group of trans men have produced a video response to the controversial casting of Scarlett Johansson as the lead in the upcoming film Rub & Tug.
In a video published Friday, performers D'Lo, Justin Chow, Scott Turner Schofield and Rocco Kayiatos (who goes by the stage name Katastrophe) try out for cisgender parts the actress has played across her career: Rebecca in 2001's Ghost World, Samantha in 2013's Her, Anna in 2009's He's Just Not That Into You and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the Avengers films.
Johansson sparked controversy in early July when it was announced that she would be playing the ...
In a video published Friday, performers D'Lo, Justin Chow, Scott Turner Schofield and Rocco Kayiatos (who goes by the stage name Katastrophe) try out for cisgender parts the actress has played across her career: Rebecca in 2001's Ghost World, Samantha in 2013's Her, Anna in 2009's He's Just Not That Into You and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the Avengers films.
Johansson sparked controversy in early July when it was announced that she would be playing the ...
- 7/10/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A group of trans men have produced a video response to the controversial casting of Scarlett Johansson as the lead in the upcoming film Rub & Tug.
In a video published Friday, performers D'Lo, Justin Chow, Scott Turner Schofield and Rocco Kayiatos (who goes by the stage name Katastrophe) try out for cisgender parts the actress has played across her career: Rebecca in 2001's Ghost World, Samantha in 2013's Her, Anna in 2009's He's Just Not That Into You and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the Avengers films.
Johansson sparked controversy in early July when it was announced that she would be playing the ...
In a video published Friday, performers D'Lo, Justin Chow, Scott Turner Schofield and Rocco Kayiatos (who goes by the stage name Katastrophe) try out for cisgender parts the actress has played across her career: Rebecca in 2001's Ghost World, Samantha in 2013's Her, Anna in 2009's He's Just Not That Into You and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the Avengers films.
Johansson sparked controversy in early July when it was announced that she would be playing the ...
- 7/10/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Scarlett Johansson and director Rupert Sanders are courting controversy yet again. After being slammed with claims of whitewashing for their 2017 film, Ghost in the Shell, the pair decided to give it another go with a new film titled Rub & Tug, which tells the true story of crime boss Dante "Tex" Gill, a transman who operated massage parlors and prostitution rings in Pittsburgh in the 1970s. When it was announced that Johansson, a cisgender woman, will be the one to play the role of Tex, backlash immediately erupted, sparking an important conversation about the lack of acting jobs for trans actors in Hollywood.
So far, a number of trans actors have spoken out against Johansson's decision to play Tex, pointing out that a trans actor should be cast instead. In fact, in response to the criticism, Johansson's rep said in a rather flippant statement to Bustle that any angry reactions...
So far, a number of trans actors have spoken out against Johansson's decision to play Tex, pointing out that a trans actor should be cast instead. In fact, in response to the criticism, Johansson's rep said in a rather flippant statement to Bustle that any angry reactions...
- 7/9/2018
- by Quinn Keaney
- Popsugar.com
The backlash following Scarlett Johansson’s recent casting in New Regency’s mob drama Rub & Tug as a woman who identifies as man is not abating.
Johansson was set last week to play the real live Dante “Tex” Gill in the pic to be directed by her Ghost in the Shell helmer Rupert Sanders. The plot centers on Gill, a crime kingpin in the 1970s who ran a string of Pittsburgh massage parlors and an anabolic steroids ring that helped fuel the Steelers’ NFL dynasty.
Gill was born as Lois Jean Gill but identified as a man — a detail in the role that has sparked backlash.
Trace Lysette, a transgender woman best known for her role in Amazon’s Transparent, took to Twitter to air out her frustrations over Johansson’s casting.
“Oh word?? So you can continue to play us but we can’t play y’all?,” Lysette wrote.
Johansson was set last week to play the real live Dante “Tex” Gill in the pic to be directed by her Ghost in the Shell helmer Rupert Sanders. The plot centers on Gill, a crime kingpin in the 1970s who ran a string of Pittsburgh massage parlors and an anabolic steroids ring that helped fuel the Steelers’ NFL dynasty.
Gill was born as Lois Jean Gill but identified as a man — a detail in the role that has sparked backlash.
Trace Lysette, a transgender woman best known for her role in Amazon’s Transparent, took to Twitter to air out her frustrations over Johansson’s casting.
“Oh word?? So you can continue to play us but we can’t play y’all?,” Lysette wrote.
- 7/6/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Scarlett Johansson’s choice to play a transgender man in an upcoming role has been met with scorn from many in the trans community. But columnists have been weighing in too, largely with disapproval.
In an opinion piece for The New York Times, trans author Jennifer Finney Boylan said Johansson’s casting reminded her of Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” which received backlash for using “yellowface” and caricaturing. Rooney, of course, was a white man playing an asian. And his comedic role has gotten fewer laughs as his part in the 1961 classic continues to grow more dated.
Boylan also criticized past transgender roles played by cisgender men, such as Eddie Redmayne and Jared Leto, who both won Oscars for their performances.
Also Read: Could Ant-Man Show Up in 'Captain Marvel'? We Think So
“Second, there’s usually something slightly off when cisgender actors play us.
In an opinion piece for The New York Times, trans author Jennifer Finney Boylan said Johansson’s casting reminded her of Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” which received backlash for using “yellowface” and caricaturing. Rooney, of course, was a white man playing an asian. And his comedic role has gotten fewer laughs as his part in the 1961 classic continues to grow more dated.
Boylan also criticized past transgender roles played by cisgender men, such as Eddie Redmayne and Jared Leto, who both won Oscars for their performances.
Also Read: Could Ant-Man Show Up in 'Captain Marvel'? We Think So
“Second, there’s usually something slightly off when cisgender actors play us.
- 7/6/2018
- by Linda Xu
- The Wrap
In 2017, filmmaker Sebastián Lelio released the Oscar-winning film, “A Fantastic Woman.” The film is especially notable for starring a trans woman in the lead role, telling the story of how a trans person deals with the prejudice and rejection coming from everywhere. And with the recent controversy surrounding Scarlett Johansson’s newest film, “Rub & Tug,” THR decided to ask the filmmaker what he thinks about cisgender actors taking on trans roles.
Continue reading ‘A Fantastic Woman’ Filmmaker Defends Scarlett Johansson Casting As A Trans Man In ‘Rub & Tug’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘A Fantastic Woman’ Filmmaker Defends Scarlett Johansson Casting As A Trans Man In ‘Rub & Tug’ at The Playlist.
- 7/6/2018
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Scarlett Johansson may best be known as Black Widow in Marvel Studios’ ongoing cinematic universe, but she also portrayed another heroic figure in Rupert Sanders’ 2017 Ghost in the Shell live-action adaptation. It was a role she accrued criticism for, with fans of the original work contesting that casting Johansson was “whitewashing” it. Johansson’s newest […]
Source: uInterview
The post Scarlett Johansson’s Casting In ‘Rub & Tug’ Sparks Controversy appeared first on uInterview.
Source: uInterview
The post Scarlett Johansson’s Casting In ‘Rub & Tug’ Sparks Controversy appeared first on uInterview.
- 7/5/2018
- by Matt Reisine
- Uinterview
The real Dante “Tex” Gill, sporting a three-piece suit and a mean mug, was the archetype of masculine swagger. It’s hard to imagine Hollywood sex symbol Scarlett Johansson playing such a character, especially one described in their own obituary as “short and dumpy,” but that is exactly what she intends to do in “Rub & Tug.” Johansson’s casting announcements cited Gill as a woman who dressed as a man, but Screencrush writer E. Oliver Whitney pointed out that Gill was most likely a transgender man.
Johansson’s casting prompted harsh rebukes from the trans community, which has repeatedly complained of seeing their stories co-opted by cis people in Hollywood. Johansson told Bustle through a representative: “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.”
It’s a statement that has echoes of “let them eat cake,” and her...
Johansson’s casting prompted harsh rebukes from the trans community, which has repeatedly complained of seeing their stories co-opted by cis people in Hollywood. Johansson told Bustle through a representative: “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.”
It’s a statement that has echoes of “let them eat cake,” and her...
- 7/5/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Lelio, who directed breakout transgender star Daniela Vega in the 2017 Oscar winner A Fantastic Woman, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Scarlett Johansson's casting as a transgender man in an upcoming film.
Johansson is set to play the lead in Rupert Sanders’ Rub & Tug, a film about the true-life story of massage parlor owner Dante “Tex” Gill, who presented himself as a male and who may have been transgender man.
After the project was announced on July 2, backlash to Johansson’s casting spread on social media, with transgender actresses Trace Lysette (Transparent) ...
Johansson is set to play the lead in Rupert Sanders’ Rub & Tug, a film about the true-life story of massage parlor owner Dante “Tex” Gill, who presented himself as a male and who may have been transgender man.
After the project was announced on July 2, backlash to Johansson’s casting spread on social media, with transgender actresses Trace Lysette (Transparent) ...
Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Lelio, who directed breakout transgender star Daniela Vega in the 2017 Oscar winner A Fantastic Woman, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Scarlett Johansson's casting as a transgender man in an upcoming film.
Johansson is set to play the lead in Rupert Sanders’ Rub & Tug, a film about the true-life story of massage parlor owner Dante “Tex” Gill, who presented himself as a male and who may have been transgender man.
After the project was announced on July 2, backlash to Johansson’s casting spread on social media, with transgender actresses Trace Lysette (Transparent) ...
Johansson is set to play the lead in Rupert Sanders’ Rub & Tug, a film about the true-life story of massage parlor owner Dante “Tex” Gill, who presented himself as a male and who may have been transgender man.
After the project was announced on July 2, backlash to Johansson’s casting spread on social media, with transgender actresses Trace Lysette (Transparent) ...
After news broke that Scarlett Johansson would be re-teaming with her Ghost in the Shell director Rupert Sanders for the biopic Rub & Tug, controversy immediately descended on the duo — again. The Rub and Tug casting controversy is centered on Johansson playing a transmasculine man who became a notorious Pittsburgh crime boss. In response to the backlash, Johansson has […]
The post ‘Rub and Tug’ Casting Causes Controversy; Scarlett Johansson Issues a Tepid Response appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Rub and Tug’ Casting Causes Controversy; Scarlett Johansson Issues a Tepid Response appeared first on /Film.
- 7/5/2018
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
Scarlett Johansson, controversially cast in Rug & Tug Photo: Gage Skidmore
What is the point of authenticity?
Following the cries of derision at Eddie Redmayne’s ‘transface’ for The Danish Girl and her own boycotting for playing a canonically Asian character in Ghost In The Shell, the perfect-pouting Scarlett Johansson has courted controversy again for her casting choices. She has signed up with Ghost In The Shell director Rupert Sands to play real-life transgender man Dante ‘Tex’ Gill in Rub & Tug. Tex ran massage parlours (the location of the ‘rub and tug’ of the title) and a steroid racket, and had a little sex worker operation on the side to keep things ticking over. People have predictably complained that Scarlett’s casting constitutes misrepresentation, but on exactly why it might, they are perhaps missing the point.
Police mugshots of Dante Gill
What do we want? Representation! When do we want it?...
What is the point of authenticity?
Following the cries of derision at Eddie Redmayne’s ‘transface’ for The Danish Girl and her own boycotting for playing a canonically Asian character in Ghost In The Shell, the perfect-pouting Scarlett Johansson has courted controversy again for her casting choices. She has signed up with Ghost In The Shell director Rupert Sands to play real-life transgender man Dante ‘Tex’ Gill in Rub & Tug. Tex ran massage parlours (the location of the ‘rub and tug’ of the title) and a steroid racket, and had a little sex worker operation on the side to keep things ticking over. People have predictably complained that Scarlett’s casting constitutes misrepresentation, but on exactly why it might, they are perhaps missing the point.
Police mugshots of Dante Gill
What do we want? Representation! When do we want it?...
- 7/5/2018
- by Dr Charlie Oughton
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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