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There is no denying how DC’s Aquaman is one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2018. Rightly so, as of the turn of the year, the James Wan feature has earned a little less than $800 million on a budget of $200 million. It is expected that the numbers will only go up as the movie enjoys its last few days on theatres.
Despite the box-office success, not everyone enjoyed Aquaman. Both factions, those who enjoyed and those who didn’t enjoy the film, have taken their opinions on social media. With the arguments heating up, the movie’s director has since addressed the issue.
In a recent tweet, Wan encouraged everyone to play nice. According to the director, he was informed that fans of the movie were harassing those who didn’t enjoy Aquaman. He explains that while he appreciates their passion, it isn’t the kind of support he wants for his movie:
“It has come to my attention that some folks are getting harassed by some fans for not liking AQM. Please don’t do that. Not the kind of support I want. Be respectful. Vice versa, it’s ok to not like my film, but there’s no need to attack me personally, or tag me on hates. Peace.”
This is not the first time fans were so vocal about their opinions that it verged on harassment.
In an interview, the actor who played Jar Jar Binks in the mega-franchise Star Wars, Ahmed Best, explained that he experienced a lot of bullying after The Phantom Menace premiered. He explained that he was 25 years old at the time, all the criticism he heard was something his young self could barely handle. The negative comments were too much that he contemplated suicide:
“20 years next year I faced a media backlash that still affects my career today. This was the place I almost ended my life. It’s still hard to talk about. I survived and now this little guy is my gift for survival. Would this be a good story for my solo show? Lemme know” explained Best in a tweet following the interview.
More recently, Kelly Marie Tran, the actress who played Rose in Star Wars The Last Jedi, also faced a lot of harassment for her role. While some were constructive, a lot of the hate pitted on the young actress was below the belt, verging on racist. The comments were so upsetting that actress decided to delete her Instagram account.
Tran has since addressed her detractors:
“I know the opportunity given to me is rare. I know that I now belong to a small group of privileged people who get to tell stories for a living, stories that are heard and seen and digested by a world that for so long has tasted only one thing. I know how important that is. And I am not giving up. You might know me as Kelly. I am the first woman of color to have a leading role in a “Star Wars” movie. I am the first Asian woman to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair. My real name is Loan. And I am just getting started.”
Aquaman premiered across the United States last December 21, 2018.
