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Peter Pan is the children's story of the moment.
Allison Williams is about to perform a live stage version, and Warner Brother just released the first trailer for its upcoming live-action adaption titled Pan. Unlike the NBC version, which cast Alanna Saunders, who is part Cherokee, to play Tiger Lily, Pan cast Rooney Mara, who is white, to play the Native American character.
Tiger Lily, according to the original J.M. Barrie story is a fierce Native American warrior who "staves off the altar with a hatchet." She is pointedly not an emerald-eyed, fair-skinned beauty like Rooney Mara. Hollywood already has so few roles for people of color that outrage rose quickly over this role — one that is an obvious place to add diversity — went again to a white woman. Now that the trailer has arrived and revealed just how odd it looks to have Mara playing the part, the issue has been driven home all over again.
Twitter responded with anger:
Something’s odd about this new Peter #Pan movie, but I just can’t put my finger on it. #TigerLily pic.twitter.com/FTDpXj6OjZ
— Eric Haywood (@Eric_Haywood) November 25, 2014
Why why why is a white actress playing Tiger Lily
— Morticia Addams (@melaniedrinnan) November 26, 2014
Dear Pan movie, please explain why Tiger Lily is a white girl.
— Layne (@laynemorgan) November 26, 2014
i will NEVER stop fighting for poc representation in the media. why is moses white? why is tiger lily white? why is everyone white?
— tracy chung (@tra_chung) November 26, 2014
You can watch the trailer for Pan here:
