'Nina' distributor responds to biopic scandal, defends star Zoe Saldana
Nina's main distributor is standing by the biopic, despite growing backlash for its portrayal of Nina Simone.
The film is being distributed by RLJ Entertainment. Founder and Chairman Robert L. Johnson released a statement about the brewing controversy on Thursday, supporting Saldana:
“Zoe Saldana delivers an exceptional and mesmerizing tribute to Nina Simone. She gave her heart and soul to the role and displayed her extraordinary talent. The most important thing is that creativity or quality of performance should never be judged on the basis of color, or ethnicity, or physical likeness. Quality entertainment should be measured by the sheer force of creativity and the commitment that an actor or actress brings to the performance. We are proud to distribute the film headlined by Zoe Saldana and David Oyelowo on April 22, 2016.”
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Saldana has been under fire for playing the late singer, namely because of the makeup used to darken her complexion in the film. Nina Simone's estate recently tweeted at Saldana, advising her to "take Nina's name out your mouth. For the rest of your life."
Simone's daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, has also criticized the film since it began shooting in 2012, calling it an "unauthorized" project, and calling Saldana's casting a "further example of how much this project really just veered away from what the truth was.”
Nina, directed by Cynthia Mort, will hit theaters on April 22. Here's the trailer.
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Yohana Desta was the senior film reporter for Mashable. She is a Northern Virginia native and an American University grad. She enjoys carefully curating her Instagram account and can often be found reading books, going to concerts, watching movies and learning way too much about pop culture.
