Yesterday, the first trailer for Nina, the long-delayed biopic of the legendary singer and activist Nina Simone, was released online.
To celebrate it, Zoe Saldana, who plays the title character, sent a tweet to her fans:
"I'll tell you what freedom is to me- No Fear... I mean really, no fear." #NinaSimone
— Zoe Saldana (@zoesaldana) March 2, 2016
The actress has already face massive backlash over her casting due to her lack of both singing experience and resemblance to Nina Simone. She also reportedly darkened her face with make-up and wore a prosthetic nose during the shoot.
In response, Nina Simone's estate replied:
.@zoesaldana Cool story but please take Nina's name out your mouth. For the rest of your life.
— Nina Simone (@NinaSimoneMusic) March 3, 2016
Hopefully people begin to understand this is painful. Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, nauseating, soul-crushing. It shall pass, but for now...
— Nina Simone (@NinaSimoneMusic) March 3, 2016
In response to the controvery Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of RLJ Entertainment, which will distribute Nina, told Rolling Stone: "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."
The trailer for the movie can be seen below, with the movie set for a US release on April 22nd, and no confirmation of a theatrical release in Ireland as of yet.
