Jordan Peele, Edgar Wright, and other directors support John Boyega after protest speech
Aux Features John Boyega
During the second half of his impassioned speech at a U.K. Black Lives Matter protest, John Boyega acknowledged a risk that many other marginalized performers face when they speak candidly about racism and discrimination. “Look, I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but fuck that,” Boyega said firmly to the crowd as he spoke of the racial injustices that have led to the deaths of George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Treyvon Martin, and countless other Black, unarmed citizens. Now, a number of Hollywood’s biggest filmmakers—including the likes of Jordan Peele, Edgar Wright, and Black Mirror’s Charlie Brooker—are rushing to both support Boyega’s message and assure everyone that Boyega’s career will be just fine.
Peele, the Oscar-winning creator behind Get Out and Us, responded to a tweet containing Boyega’s quote concerning his career with the promise, “We got you, John.” (Fellow Oscar winner and The Shape Of Water director Guillermo del Toro retweeted the message in apparent support.) Baby Driver’s Edgar Wright also backed Boyega, confirming that he would willingly direct the actor again having worked with him on 2011's Attack The Block.
Other film and television creators voiced their eagerness to one day helm a Boyega project, including Brooker, who dramatically stated that he would “crawl through a barrel of glass” to have Boyega simply read one of his scripts. Other supporters include Duncan Jones, Gennifer Hutchison, and Hair Love’s Matthew Cherry. On Wednesday evening, Disney also backed Boyega’s speech with a statement from the official Star Wars Twitter account.
This rallying attitude among some of Hollywood’s most powerful creative figures is undoubtedly great, as it sets a much-needed precedent in an industry that has been unkind to underrepresented talent—especially woman—who have spoken on the discrimination and abuse they’ve faced. May this very energy continue to protect those who dare to fight against injustice.
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But Jordan Peele worked for Disney by appearing in an episode of ‘The Muppets’ and voicing Bunny in Toy Story 4! Shouldn’t William Hughes have approved this article first?
The Rock went after Trump yesterday. He’s been very canny about how he markets his image to make it appeal to a broad audience. He’s also a former Republican. I don’t know what’s going to happen in November, whether Trump will be soundly defeated or squeak out a win via the voodoo math of the electoral college or use some chicanery to cling to office and save face. But culturally, the fight is over. It’s everyone vs racists at this point.
Heads-up to anyone wanting to protest Trump. He’s getting the hell out of Dodge tomorrow, flying to a remote community in Maine for a pointless photo op.
I heard he was going to go golfing in NJ? I don’t really want to google it, though…
Maine? I heard the lobster’s amazing there!
Better tell Maine to cover their eyes and mouths.
They’ve already had to deal with It, the Tommyknockers, the Langoliers… now this?
I am not expert in politics, but when your country is in chaos shouldn’t you be staying at the White House and trying to fix it?
We entered the bizarro timeline a few years ago, so actually, getting him out of the white house would help fix more than him staying there. Preferably permanently.
(and before anyone says anything, yes I know this issue is older than he is, he’s still making shit worse.)
Side note regarding hair love: I showed that short to my daughter, and she loved it so much that she kept asking to watch it at bedtime. I saw there’s a storybook version of it, so I figured, problem solved! But, the focus & plot of the book is subtly different, and focuses more on describing the different hair styles, and now my daughter (who has very straight nearly blond hair) wants desperately to have her hair styled in all these ways that her hair isn’t capable of. It was an odd unintended consequence.
She’s welcome to borrow my giant, unwieldy white guy Jewfro if she likes. I could take a weed wacker to this thing and it would barely make a dent.
in the 90s there was this dude who looked like Weird Al at my high school who had a bright red afro as wide as a doorframe. It was majestic
Five years ago I never would’ve believed that Jordan Peele would make it possible for any black actor to say whatever the fuck they want about social injustice and racism. This is the exact reason why you want more minorities in positions of power in Hollywood (and, you know, to make good movies).
Disney, the same company that removed Boyega (and Chewbacca for some reason) from their Chinese posters for TFA because of Chinese racism? That same Disney? Glad to know that’s the point you decided to end the star-studded cast of people backing him on — the one giant conglomerate that is literally just jumping into this in America because “money.”
“Baby Driver’s Edgar Wright also backed Boyega, confirming that he would willingly direct the actor again having worked with him on 2011’s Attack The Block.”
Edgar Wright hasn’t directed Boyega before. He didn’t direct Attack the Block.
THAT’S… how the force works!
I’m sure my improv class would be happy for Boyega to come around and do some scenes with us. Just remember to pick up those offers, John!