Movies

Star Wars Whitewashed by Chinese

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7 December 2015

By Alex Khalil

Posters for the newest Star Wars film are popping up everywhere around the country, and indeed the world… but there’s a startling difference between Western and Chinese versions of the newest Lucasfilm feature.

The Chinese version of the ad has completely erased John Boyega, who plays lead character Finn, along with Lupita Nyong’o, who plays alien pirate Maz Kanata. Even our favorite Wookie, Chewbacca, has been taken out of the frame.

To make up for the absence of these characters, there are considerably more Stormtroopers, and a few more explosions and TIE fighters.

It is still unclear whether the decision to edit the poster was due to the Chinese or the US. Disney and Lucasfilm have not responded to requests for comment.

There are a number of reasons why this is wrong. The obvious doesn’t need to be said, but to deny an actor’s role (especially when he has just as big a part of the film as everyone else) is undeniably inconsiderate. We also have to take into consideration the fact that Finn is a main character in the film. Next to Daisy Ridley’s character Rey, he probably has the most screen time in the trailer, and indeed in the film.

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