The creator of the controversial Disney+ “Star Wars” present “The Acolyte” is pushing again in opposition to those that say that her present is “woke” propaganda that includes “lesbian area witches,” slamming the criticism as “reductive.”
Leslye Headland, the “first overtly queer individual to create” a serious Star Wars venture as The Hollywood Reporter (THR) described her, spoke to the outlet this week in regards to the backlash the present has gotten for its progressive themes, telling the outlet that she by no means meant to make a present with an overt political agenda, even when it incorporates some LGBTQ messaging.
“I don’t consider that I’ve created queer, with a capital Q, content material,” Headland informed the leisure outlet.
“Star Wars: The Acolyte” has confirmed to be one of the vital divisive entries within the Star Wars franchise since its debut on Disney’s streaming platform earlier this month. Regardless of being successful with critics – it at present options an 85% Rotten Tomatoes ranking amongst skilled film reviewers – it has a 14% viewers rating, the bottom ranking in that class amongst all Star Wars content material.
The Disney-owned movie franchise has been criticized by followers lately who declare the corporate has embraced “woke” storylines and characters, with followers slamming “The Acolyte” as probably the most progressive one but.
Leslye Headland maintains that whereas the present has some LGBTQ themes, she didn’t intend for it to have an overt political message. Getty Photographs
The present’s LGBTQ status has preceded itself, producing a now-viral second the place a journalist from The Wrap informed Headland and non-binary collection star Amandla Stenberg throughout an interview that the present is “arguably the gayest Star Wars by a substantial margin.”
Although she and the actor have been amused by the query, Headland advised it wasn’t one thing she was aiming for. Nonetheless, she accepted the characterization, saying, “I’m frankly, into it.”
Throughout her latest interview with THR, Headland appeared inclined to mood a number of the response to her interview with The Wrap.
“I used to be shocked by the query,” she mentioned. “Amandla and I simply burst out laughing as a result of that’s our knee-jerk response to being requested that, however to be sincere, I don’t know what the time period ‘homosexual’ means in that sense. I don’t consider that I’ve created queer, with a capital Q, content material.”
Regardless of it’s high-ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, some followers criticize the present for being too ‘woke.’ Lucasfilm Ltd.
Headland additionally weighed in on a controversial storyline in episode three of “The Acolyte” which appeared to verify critics’ worst fears about overt LGBTQ propaganda being a part of the present.
The narrative in query implied that two highly effective witches belonging to an all-female society used drive magic to generate their feminine offspring, the dual important characters of the present performed by Stenberg.
In social media circles, disgruntled followers began mocking the collection for having made “lesbian area witches” a professional a part of the Star Wars canon.
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Headland slammed that studying of the episode, telling the outlet, “They’re in a matriarchal society. As a homosexual lady, I knew it could learn that their sexuality is queer, however there additionally aren’t any males of their neighborhood. So a closeness between the 2 of them can be pure. It appeared plot-driven.”
“I might say it’s actually reductive to name them lesbians. I feel it means you’re probably not being attentive to this story,” she added.
Headland reiterated that although she isn’t making an LGBTQ collection, she stands by the “queerness” of the present.
Would-be Star Wars followers have been irked by an episode with witches in an all-female society who used magic to create offspring. Christian Black / Lucasfilm Ltd.
“I’m pleased with being a homosexual lady who’s completed this feat, and positively, if my content material is named queer, I don’t wish to disown no matter queerness is within the present. I might be proud to create one thing that impressed queer individuals,” she mentioned.
The creator additionally slammed followers who spin the present’s LGBTQ themes as a unfavourable factor, stating, “Truthfully, I really feel unhappy that individuals would assume that if one thing have been homosexual, that that may be dangerous. It makes me really feel unhappy {that a} bunch of individuals on the web would one way or the other dismantle what I think about to be an important piece of artwork that I’ve ever made.”
Fox Information Digital’s Kristine Parks contributed to this report.