Matt Damon responds to whitewashing backlash

Chibumga Izuzu 17:00 - 11 October 2016

The Great Wall poster

Due to its main character being played by a white in a movie set in medieval China, "The Great Wall" has been accused of whitewashing.

Speaking at the New York Comic-Con, Damon described the accusations as a "f*ckin’ bummer.”

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“Yeah, it was a f*ckin’ bummer,” Damon said. “I had a few reactions. I was surprised, I guess because it was based on a teaser, it wasn’t even a full trailer let alone a movie. To get those charges levied against you… What bummed me out is I read The Atlantic religiously and there was an article in The Atlantic. I was like, ‘Really, guys?’ To me whitewashing was when Chuck Connors played Geronimo.

"There are far more nuanced versions of it and I do try to be sensitive to that, but Pedro Pascal called me and goes, ‘Yeah, we are guilty of whitewashing. We all know only the Chinese defended the wall against the monster attack.'”

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Starring Matt Damon and directed by Zhang Yimou, "The Great Wall" is an adaptation of a short story by Franz Kafkatells, and tells the story of an elite force making a valiant stand for humanity on the world’s most iconic structure.

The upcoming movie also stars Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe and Andy Lau.

"The Great Wall" is set for a December 16 release in China and February 17 in the U.S.