HBO's Parasite reboot is raising whitewashing concerns with potential star Mark Ruffalo

The Washington Post

"When the South Korean movie Parasite won not one but four Oscars, the Asian and Asian American communities finally felt recognized for their talent," says Marian Liu. "But when news followed that the HBO spinoff series will possibly star Mark Ruffalo, many expressed disappointment. It’s the latest example of the industry’s practice of remaking Asian films with white actors for U.S. audiences, suggesting that while the industry has evolved from Mickey Rooney’s racist depiction of a Japanese man in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, there is still a long way to go in terms of representation." As Nancy Wang Yuen, a sociologist and author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism, put it: "Parasite just felt like such an affirmation of Asian talent, both behind the scenes and in front of the scenes. I think to have the U.S. version be white feels like a downer compared to the uproar that we experienced as a community."