Hey nerds.
BQB here.
Soo…OscarsSoWhite. That whole issue has led to people really paying attention to casting decisions lately.
A trailer is out for a moving coming out next year. Sort of an action horror fantasy movie. “The Great Wall” the idea being that the Great Wall of China was built to keep monsters from invading China.
So the hero’s an Asian guy, right?
Wrong. It’s Matt Damon.
I guess he had some time between filming the last Jason Bourne movie and the next Jason Bourne movie.
Hmmm…ok. So I assume the story explains how a white guy ended up as the hero but…maybe just maybe Good Ole Matt has a good run in Tinsel Town. Maybe just maybe there was an Asian guy who could have been the lead…in a movie…about China.
By the way – I’m not sure I blame Matt Damon. I mean, if Hollywood’s passing out big bucks to pretend to be a warrior in China, I’d take it. But, it is up to Hollywood to say, “Huh. Maybe a movie in Asia needs an Asian lead.”
What say you, 3.5 readers?
Bookshelf Battle 
To me it just seems weird to see Matt Damon in a movie that’s based in ancient china. Not saying its bad….just weird.
Other than that it looks like it might be good. I dunno. Gotta watch that casting.
Here’s what’s funny. This is a movie done by a Chinese studio owned by China, with a Chinese director. It’s made for Chinese audiences. China wanted Matt Damon for this movie. Why? Hollywood stars are big there. Truly Chinese movies don’t do as well in China, so they got a big star.
I feel like every generation has had at least one Asian action star. Jackie Chan is the last I can remember. They need a new one.
I haven’t heard of any newer ones recently.
That’s a good point. No movie gets made in China without their stamp of approval. Nearly the only thing not Chinese about this movie is Matt Damon. If China is okay with it, are we making too much of a big deal about it? I can see the argument in Gods of Egypt, which had virtually no one from the Near East…
I think people are making too much of a big deal about it. The Chinese wanted him in it, so what’s the problem?
From watching the trailer, it all seems to be complete fantasy and totally far-fetched. I guess then, that a Chinese hero who just happens to look like Matt Damon may not be so odd. Think I’ll give this one a miss…
As far as I know he’s playing a white dude. I assume they know if he plays a Chinese dude everyone will go nuts. Pedro Pascal from GOT is in it so I assume there’s some backstory where worldly warriors have gone to the wall.