Jared Leto stars as a Japanese gangster in 'The Outsider'

Wait, what?



In the illustrious Hollywood tradition of movies about white dudes who are better at being Asian than actual Asians, here's your first look at the Yakuza period thriller The Outsider, in which Jared Leto becomes a Japanese gangster. Wait, whaaat? Yup. The Netflix original movie follows a white guy who works his way up the ranks to become a rare non-Japanese member of the fearsome Yakuza.

The official synopsis reads: "Set in post-WWII Japan, an imprisoned American soldier (Leto) is released with the help of his Yakuza cellmate. Now free, he sets out to earn their respect and repay his debt while navigating the dangerous criminal underworld." I assume this means that the white guy will do a lot of way crazier shit than any of the Japanese guys, to prove his worth. And romance some Japanese ladies along the way, of course.

Here's the trailer:

Disney Says 'Mulan' Will Not Feature a White Male Lead

Guest Post by ConcernedForMulan



I am writing this 19 hours since my open letter was shared on the Angry Asian Man blog as a closing statement to the revolution we've made today, and to congratulate our community for this tremendous feat of solidarity.

Disney has officially responded, as seen in this Vanity Fair article:

Don't Worry: Mulan Will Not Feature a White Male Lead

Though the article disparagingly writes off my words as "rumors," it admits that Disney does not deny that the spec script contains what I described. I, and many others who have read the script, know it to be true -- the spec script is problematic in its depiction of a white male hero who serves as Mulan's love interest, helps fight her battles, and ultimately is the one who defeats the enemy of China. That was the script that Disney bought, which, even as a "jumping-off point," is unacceptable. Disney now publicly states that the male lead will be Chinese and that the script is being rewritten. So let's hold them to it. It's as much as an apology we can expect from a company as large as this, but is much appreciated nonetheless.

An Open Letter to the Creators of Disney's Live-Action Feature Film 'The Legend of Mulan'

Guest Post by ConcernedForMulan



A white merchant's business brings him to the heart of a legendary Asian conflict -- he unwittingly helps save the day while winning the heart of the Asian female. Am I describing the plotline of the Netflix series Marco Polo? No. I'm describing the spec script that Disney bought for its live-action feature film, The Legend of Mulan, which is projected for release in 2018.

As an Asian American person in the industry, I am furious after reading this script. I am writing this letter anonymously so all the fans anticipating this remake will know how problematic it is in its current form. We must urge the creators of Disney's live-action Mulan to reconsider the story before the film goes into production.

The 1998 Disney animated classic focused on Mulan's transition from being a young girl failing to fit the mold of a perfect daughter and wife to a heroine whose brave acts ultimately save ancient China. Her determination allows her to rise above the gender expectations of her culture and become the one who brings "honor to us all." Hers is essentially an Asian American tale because it fused Asian characters and culture with a coming-of-age hero's journey that resonated with American audiences.

So why does the script for the live-action remake feature a white male lead?

Bruce Lee Movie Stars a White Guy Because Of Course it Does

By Keith Chow. Cross-Posted from The Nerds of Color.



This morning, Deadline unveiled the first trailer for Birth of the Dragon, which recently made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. Ostensibly, the film depicts the legendary fight between Bruce Lee (played by Philip Ng) and Wong Jack Man (Yu Xia). But because this is Hollywood, the movie is going to be told from the perspective of a white dude.

Philip Ng cast as Bruce Lee in 'Birth of the Dragon'

Movie inspired by the story of Bruce Lee's most famous fight.



So there's this Bruce Lee movie that's been in the works for a while. Birth of a Dragon is a "biopic" of sorts, inspired by Lee's infamous Chinatown fight with Master Wong Jack Man. And now, the project has found its Bruce Lee. The legendary martial artist will be played by Hong Kong-born actor Philip Ng.

Philip Ng cast as Bruce Lee in Birth of the Dragon

According to Entertainment Weekly, Ng will play Lee, while Chinese actor Yu Xia will play rival Wong Jack Man. As legend has it, the two martial artists fought in a real-life confrontation in Oakland in 1965. Details about the duel -- including why they fought and who actually won -- have been debated for decades, but Lee's family credits the fight for sparking the development of the philosophy that would eventually become Jeet Kune Do.

Birth of the Dragon will be told from the perspective of Steve McKee. Wait, who the hell is that?

'Twilight' director to film love epic set in ancient China... starring a white person! Of course.

Catherine Hardwicke will direct 'Loulan,' a "sweeping romantic epic" set in an ancient Silk Road kingdom.


Director Catherine Hardwicke
Another Hollywood production tries to get in on that China money. The latest effort comes from Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke, who recently announced that she is making "a sweeping romantic epic" set in an ancient Silk Road city. Of course, the movie will likely star a white person. Because Hollywood.

'Twilight"s Catherine Hardwicke to film love epic in China

Loulan, set in the city of the same name circa 200 B.C., is about a princess caught in the middle of warring kingdoms at the nexus of the Silk Road, now known as the Xinjiang region in present-day western China.

But hey, it wouldn't be a proper Hollywood movie without throwing a white person in there somewhere, even in ancient frickin' China. So how are they going to explain that? In 1980, researchers in the region discovered a remarkably well-preserved female mummy with Caucasian features. She was dubbed the "Loulan Beauty."

'Marco Polo' is the Original White-Guy-in-The-Orient Adventure

Netflix's upcoming original series features lots of swords and gongs and sexy Asians on silk sheets.



Netflix's latest venture into original programming is Marco Polo, an epic, big-budget sex-and-violence adventure series based on the exploits of the famed explorer, who traveled down the Silk Road from Italy to China in the 13th century. Uh oh. It's the original white-guy-in-Asia adventure. The first trailer for the series has dropped, and it is indeed an eye-rolling affair:

Brett Ratner is producing the modern Madame Butterfly movie nobody wanted, set during the Japanese tsunami

Yet another movie about a White Man's Adventures in Asia.

This movie news makes my soul sad... Whose idea was this evil, unholy union? Shit-tastic director Brett Ratner has reportedly teamed up with Poland's Alvernia Studios to produce Magnitude 9, an updated version of Madame Butterfly. Noooooo! We don't want it: Brett Ratner to produce Madame Butterfly update.

Ratner will produce a modern version of the tragic love story, set against the 2011 tsunami disaster in Japan. The story, written and directed by Agnieszka Vosloo, is about an ambitious U.S. Navy officer encounters a mysterious local girl in Tokyo as he prepares to return home to his fiancee in Washington.

Yup, yet another white-man-adventures-in-Asia movie. Hooray:

White Guy rises to the top of the Chinese Mafia in White Devil

Because white movie heroes are always better at being Asian than other Asians.

You've got to be kidding me. If you just can't get enough movies about white guys in exotic, awesome places, you can look forward to the white-dude-in-Chinatown thriller White Devil, courtesy of the fine folks at Warner Brothers: Warner Bros Sets James Gray For Boston Crime Thriller 'White Devil.'

According to Deadline.com, James Gray will write and direct the contemporary crime drama White Devil, the story of a white orphan who is adopted into a Chinese family and rises through the ranks to the top of Boston's Chinese Mafia. Seriously. And I'm sure he gets to romance a few Asian ladies along the way.

American Adventures in Postwar Japan: The Movie

Well, this one sounds like another winner. Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones will star as General Douglas MacArthur in the feature film Emperor, a historical epic set in post-World War II Japan: Tommy Lee Jones to Play Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 'Emperor.'

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film deals with the uncertainties and tensions immediately following the Japanese surrender at the end of the war. Matthew Fox will also star as a member of MacArthur's staff whose also looking for his former Japanese lover:

Leonardo DiCaprio to star as Japan-trained assassin in Satori

Oh boy. News recently broke that Warner Bros has picked up the rights to the bestselling novel Satori by Don Winslow, with Leonardo DiCaprio set to star: Warner Bros. Acquires Don Winslow's Post-WWII Novel SATORI with Leonardo DiCaprio Set to Star.

The action thriller, set in post-war Japan, centers on -- surprise! -- a westerner named Nicholai Hel raised by a Japanese general and taught the deadly skills of an assassin, who gets caught up in some messy international intrigue.

The studio apparently sees some Bourne-like franchise potential in this material. Here's the publisher's back-of-the-book synopsis:

Coming Soon: White-Guy-as-Yakuza drama The Outsider

Hm. According to Deadline, Warner Brothers has acquired the script for The Outsider, a period drama about a white dude who becomes a Japanese gangster. Wait, whaaaat? Yeah, you read that right. Think The Last Samurai, except with Yakuza:

Warner Bros Acquires Yakuza Drama 'The Outsider.'

The Outsider, an original screenplay written by Andrew Baldwin, tells the story of an American POW who stays in Japan after World War II, and works his way up the ranks to become a rare non-Japanese member of the fearsome Yakuza.

Well, of course he does:

Live-Action 'Akira' Adaptation: Starring White People!

So we've know that there's been a live-action adaptation of the manga/anime classic Akira in the works for a while now -- literally for years.

In the last year, the project has seen some major developments, with the Hughes Brothers attached to direct and an allegedly epic screenplay by Harry Potter scribe Steve Kloves. There was a moment late last year when Zac Efron was rumored to be attached to the project, but that thankfully didn't pan out.

The studio has its eye on possible stars for the movie... and surprise, surprise, the actors are are all white. According to Deadline.com the script has been a sent to s short list of actors that includes Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield, James MacAvoy, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix: