The trailer for Disney’s “Peter Pan & Wendy” – based on the Mouse House’s 1953 animated classic “Peter Pan” – dropped on Tuesday, and it certainly presents a movie that looks far more inclusive than past retellings of the original J.M. Barrie tale.
via: BET
Yara Shahidi has made history as the first Black actress to play Tinkerbell in Disney’s Peter Pan and Wendy, the studio’s latest live-action adaptation. Now that the trailer has dropped, Disney is getting backlash.
Black Tinkerbell. Black Little Mermaid. Black Cinderella. Brown Snow White. The blackwashing of White culture continues. pic.twitter.com/7Bi5WmiX9X
— iamyesyouareno (@iamyesyouareno) March 1, 2023
One tweet read, Black Tinkerbell. Black Little Mermaid. Black Cinderella. Brown Snow White. The blackwashing of White culture continues.
Another user added, “What’s the point of race-swapping Tinkerbell?”
What's the point of race-swapping Tinkerbell? Disney already has a black fairy (Iridessa ?); they could have fleshed out a story with her and the other fairies.
Why is Disney so unwilling to create original stories with their already established characters of color? pic.twitter.com/PuZLJKeIxo
— ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡ (@QuatschMatch) February 28, 2023
There were even more cries of “race-swapping,” see the meme below:
My reaction to the new tinker bell pic.twitter.com/AYO2xlJz87
— Baseduka ???? (@basedukas) March 1, 2023
The racist backlash is similar to when Halle Bailey was cast as Princess Ariel in a remake of The Little Mermaid.
Yara and Disney are unbothered, and the movie will stream on April 28 on Disney+. The cast also includes Jude Law as Captain Hook, Alexander Molony as Peter Pan, and Ever Anderson as Wendy. David Lowery is the director and the script is co-written by Toby Halbrooks.
Watch below:
