The poster that was released to China audiences showed a black British actress playing a major role in the Hollywood film Dune.
Sharon Duncan-Brewster, 45, plays ecologist-turned-diplomat Dr Liet Kynes in director Denis Villeneuve’s new adaption of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel.
She is prominently featured in the posters released in the UK, US, and China. However, she has apparently been removed from the promotion for the film in China.
Black British actress Sharon Duncan-Brewster has reportedly been removed from the poster for the Chinese version of new film Dune. Above: The Chinese poster (left) and Western poster (right).
It is six years since John Boyega, a black star, was reduced in size in a Chinese poster for Sar Wars The Force awakens.
China Africa Project, a US-based organization which aims at exploring ‘every aspect China’s engagement with Africa’, highlighted Ms Duncan-Brewster’s removal.
It claimed that the poster was ‘airbrushed’ to remove Ms Duncan-Brewster’s name in a tweet.
Ms Duncan-Brewster, 45, plays ecologist-turned-diplomat Dr Liet Kynes in director Denis Villeneuve’s new adaption of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel
The new film, which released last week, features the star, who is Trinidadian.
Chinese state media claimed it was a smear and responded to the claim.
It is not known if the new poster was created by Warner Bros, or Legendary East. Legendary East is the Chinese distributor.
MailOnline reached out directly to both firms.
Boyega, who starred as Finn, the lightsaber-wielding Finn of Star Wars in 2015, was less prominently featured in the Chinese poster.
This led to accusations of racism.
Other characters, such as Chewbacca or Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron, were also missing. In the Chinese version, BB-8 was larger.
Hollywood has been accused in the past of making changes to films to please Chinese authorities.
John Boyega, the lightsaber-wielding Finn from Star Wars The Force awakens, was not as prominently featured on the Chinese poster for 2015.
Marvel was accused of ‘whitewashing a Tibetan character from Dr Strange 2016, over fears that it might harm China’s film’s chances of success.
Tilda Swanton, a British actress played the character.
Dune was released in China last Friday, but was overtaken by The Battle at Lake Changin, a Chinese war epic.