As much as I love Eddie Redmayne and think he is a wonderful actor- I’m fucking pissed about the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them casting. Unsurprised, maybe, but angry nonetheless. They cast a white actor into a role that was a perfect opportunity to cast an actor of color. No physical description of Newt Scamander exists in canon. It is incredibly important to break down the idea that white is the default. And they squandered the chance to change that in a big way.
If you think you’re going to come into my askbox to tell me that “that’s the way hollywood works” and “they want to make sure people see it so it makes money” then I’ll tell you right now that that is bullshit. It’s a film in one of the most successful film franchises in history. People are going to see it no matter who’s in the lead. And I think it’s time we stop underestimating audiences- a film led by a PoC could do just as well as a white-led one but audiences aren’t given the option to see movies with PoC in the leads. Especially fantasy movies.