Chinese director Zhang Yimou defended the casting of Matt Damon for his upcoming fantasy epic "The Great Wall," after the film's trailer sparked allegations of whitewashing.
In a statement, Yimou said that the background of Damon's character and how he arrives in the story are actually important plot points, China Daily reported. He added that, far from him being the sole "savior" of the story, Damon's character is just one of the five heroes in the story, with the four others being played by Chinese actors.
The director also clarified that Damon's character was never intended to be played by a Chinese actor right from the get go, contrary to speculations that it was originally meant for one.
The first trailer for "The Great Wall" drew negative reactions after it apparently showcased the very Western-looking Damon as a soldier in ancient China. Netizens questioned why Damon was cast in what appeared to be a period film.
Chinese-American actress Constance Wu, meanwhile, accused the film of whitewashing and the Hollywood in general for not giving more lead role opportunities to Asian actors.
Zhang also answered criticisms that the film, his English-language debut, has a historical revisionist flavor to it, pointing out that the story is not about the construction of the Great Wall, but is just set within that period, Entertainment World reported.
He also said that, while the film has a lot of fantasy elements, he tried to make the story feel realistic as possible. The trailer showed Damon and other characters fighting off gigantic monsters while defending the wall.
Aside from Damon, "The Great Wall" also stars Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal, Andy Lau, and Zhang Hanyo, among others, and is set to premiere in Feb. 2017.