As a (half) Chinese film, “The Great Wall” is an unprecedented breakthrough.
The announcement of noted white actor Matt Damon's role in the upcoming film The Great Wall was met with a collective groan on the internet in the US as yet another example of Hollywood whitewashing.
Asian-American celebrities like Constance Wu have openly accused the film of racism and many people are with them.
The concerns are reflective of a much larger conversation around diversity in Hollywood — but people in China are celebrating the film because of what it means to have their own actors appearing right beside one of Hollywood's biggest names.
Legendary East
Unlike in the US, people on Weibo are generally excited about trailer for The Great Wall, with the fans of the Chinese celebrities in the film downright giddy over it.
"The trailer itself already brings an impressive aesthetic," reads one comment that has been liked for more than 11,000 times. "I'm looking forward to The Great Wall."
Damon plays a vaguely European mercenary who travels to ancient China to steal the formula for gunpowder, runs into a Chinese army, and decides to team up with it against mysterious monsters.
The story is set around 1,000 years ago, a time when China's power was equal to the Byzantine Empire in Europe. And history shows that there were real examples of Europeans making the trek to China.
Legendary East
Although a white man got the lead role, his female counterpart is Jing Tian, a Chinese actress. Her casting, along with the fact that the Asian cast largely outnumbers the Americans, serves as a counter to the claim that more white people means more financing for films.
Chinese celebrities appearing in the film are also super important in terms of securing the film's success in the Chinese market, as China is on track to become the world's biggest movie market, potentially surpassing North America.
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