The fact that the black actress Francesca Amewudah-rivers has been officially chosen to play Rapunzel in the Live-Action project ofTangledDisney has unleashed a huge wave of controversies. When public opinion had not yet calmed down, the situation became even more tense with the unexpected intervention of J.K. Rowling, author of the sagaHarry Potter, who expressed a position so direct that it was shocking.
In an interview, Rowling did not hesitate to affirm:“As someone who has created the image of a character, I understand perfectly what it feels when your‘ son ’is transformed.”These words immediately went viral on social networks, because they not only referred to Rapunzel, but also played one of the most sensitive issues: the original identity of the characters when adapted.
What most caught the public’s attention was the “warning” that Rowling directed to Francesca. The writer stressed:“By accepting a character that is part of the collective cultural memory, you must be prepared to face the consequences. Because not only the public, but also the story of that character, will judge you.”Many compared these words with a “dark cloud” that looms over Francesca’s nascent race in Hollywood.
Immediately, on social networks a heated debate broke out. A sector said that Rowling was being “conservative”, clinging to the original image to the point of rejecting any diversification effort in the film industry. Another sector, on the other hand, defended that it was simply pointing a tough reality: radically changing the image of characters of stories that have endured for centuries can hurt the sensitivity of the spectators who venerate the original archetype.
Hollywood analysts also reacted quickly. Some communication experts pointed out that Rowling’s statements were like “a bomb” launched right at the time the controversy reached its peak. Although he did not directly criticize Francesca, his evening warning placed the young actress in the center of the storm, subject to implacable scrutiny.
For its part, Francesca Amewudah-rivers has chosen to remain silent in front of Rowling’s words. A paradox that, instead of appeasing the situation, has further fueled speculation. His followers fear that media pressure affects both his acting performance and his professional future, which he just begins.
Another relevant detail is that several British and American media wondered: is this the first time Hollywood faces the “ghost of the original”? There are few adaptation projects that in the past received criticism for changing the genre, skin color or the personality of iconic characters. However, in the case of Rapunzel – a universal symbol of fairy tales – the issue is much more delicate. Rowling’s statements have only intensified controversy.
At the end of the interview, Rowling concluded:“I am not against black actors or diversity in general. I only warn that each election entails a price. And that price can be very high.”His words, interpreted as much as a direct message to Francesca as a warning for the entire industry, resonate in the middle of a Hollywood immersed in an accelerated diversification process.
In this context, the live-action ofTangled, even without having started filming, it has already become a true “battlefield.” The public not only expects Francesca’s interpretation, but also observes each reaction from the sector with magnifying glass, each declaration of the great figures of the industry. And perhaps, the gloomy warning of J.K. Rowling will continue to resonate for a long time, as a persistent shadow on the path of new Rapunzel in the cinema.