John Leguizamo thinks the casting of James Franco as Cuban revolution leader Fidel Castro is no bueno.
That’s “no good,” for those of you who aren’t Latino. Like Franco.
Deadline exclusively broke the news earlier this week that Franco, 44, will be playing Castro in the indie film Alina of Cuba. That spawned an Instagram eruption today from Leguizamo, who ranted against having a non-Latino actor in the role.
“How is this still going on? How is Hollywood excluding us but stealing our narratives as well? No more appropriation Hollywood and streamers! Boycott! This F’d up! Plus seriously difficult story to tell without aggrandizement which would b wrong!”
He added, “I don’t got a prob with Franco but he ain’t Latino!”
His comments struck a nerve, drawing 10,000 likes, including new The View cohost Ana Navarro, who said she would join a boycott of the film.
“I’d like to think no Latino actor worth their salt would sign up to play and aggrandize a murderous dictator who terrorized the people of Cuba for six decades,” Navarro wrote. “For both reasons you articulated, I join you in the boycott.”
Franco, a two-time Golden Globe winner, will team with Imagen Award winner Mía Maestro, who portrays Natalia “Naty” Revuelta, the Cuban-born socialite he has a passionate love affair with.
Unit Production Publicity/Gabriel Machado
They join previously announced actress Ana Villafañe who is portraying Alina Fernandez, aka Castro’s Daughter.
The screenplay from Oscar-nominated scribe Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries) and Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz, follows the true-life story of Cuban exile turned social advocate,
The movie is being shot entirely on location in and around Cartagena and Bogota, with Colombia’s colonial Spanish architecture and design playing for Castro-era Havana, Cuba. Cameras roll on Aug. 15.