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Tribune News Service

Will Smith is set to star as tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard, in the aptly titled King Richard, but the former Fresh Prince isn’t getting a very royal welcome.
The biopic centres on the athletes’ father, Richard Williams, and comes from a script by Zach Baylin. The script, NBC News reports, was runner-up on 2018’s Black List, a highly respected barometer for sought-after screenplays.

Despite his lack of a background in tennis, reported Deadline, which originally broke the news, Williams “overcame tremendous hardship, scepticism and his own troubled past to raise two of the game’s greatest players.”
He even went so far as to create “a 78-page plan for [Serena and Venus’] professional tennis careers.”
Did Vogue Hong Kong shoot itself in foot? Debut cover pulled from Web
His efforts paid off, as Serena is widely regarded as the sport’s best female player in history, a result of her 23 Grand Slam tournament wins. Venus has seven Grand Slam wins to her name.
While Hollywood is clearly intrigued by the project – set to be produced by Tim White and Trevor White’s Star Thrower Entertainment – the public has taken a different view. The news elicited a “colourism” backlash given that Smith has lighter skin than Williams.

The term “colourism” is used to describe “the privileging of light skin over dark,” something Hollywood has been accused of more than once.
Clarence Hill Jnr said that while he considers himself a fan of Smith, “there are other black actors for this role.”
Will Smith sends birthday girl Halle Berry mash-up greeting
Similarly, Valerie Complex tweeted about the film, “Colorism at work,” while George M. Johnson reminded people, “Skin color matters in how folk were treated and navigated spaces.”


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Racism and other prejudice

‘Colourism’ row: is Will Smith black enough to play tennis dad Richard Williams?

Richard Williams (left) and film star Will Smith, who is slated to play him in the biopic “King Richard”. Photos: AP

epa06885728 US singer Nicky Jam (R) and US actor Will Smith attend the FIFA World Cup 2018 closing ceremony press conference in Moscow, Russia, 13 July 2018. France will face Croatia in the FIFA World Cup 2018 final soccer match on 15 July. EPA-EFE/FELIPE TRUEBA

FILE - In this Sept. 4, 2000, file photo, Venus Williams watches her sister Serena play Australia's Jelena Dokic alongside her father and coach Richard Williams at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. His new book, "Black and White: The Way I See It," comes out May 6. It goes into detail about how Indian Wells, as he writes, "disgraced America." (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett, File)

Instagram backlash over first Vogue Hong Kong cover featuring Gigi Hadid, accused in China of racism

The April 2016 cover of Vogue UK featuring pop star Rihanna. The cover shot was originally intended for the magazine's May 2016 edition.

More deleted comments on the debut Vogue Hong Kong covers posted on Instagram. Commenter sashapaulov2484 writes: I want to ask, you have to explain, how are gigi & fei related to hk? why did you delete your gigi cover suddenly? so many negative comments but no one from Vogue HK has commented so far. Photo: courtesy of Instagram

This Weibo user responded to the posting of the Vogue Hong Kong covers by saying: Disappointed that the cover is not Maggie Cheung. Fei is fine but Gigi ... puke!!! Photo: courtesy of Weibo

This Weibo user wrote: The launch of Vogue Hong Kong, aside from Fei on the cover, yet another cover model who hates the Chinese and is racist towards Asians.  
The publisher's response: China has its own views towards Gigi but Hong Kong is different...
OK, Vogue Hong Kong, shut up and get out! Photo: courtesy of Weibo

A now deleted comment on Instagram about the Vogue Hong Kong cover of Gigi Hadid posted on March 1 but later taken down by the magazine. Photo: courtesy of Instagram

This was one Weibo user's response to the posting of the Vogue Hong Kong covers. Photo: courtesy of Weibo

The April 2016 cover of Vogue US featuring pop star Rihanna.

Chinese model Fei Fei Sun wears Chanel haute couture on the covers of Vogue China's April edition (left) and Vogue Hong Kong's March edition. Photo: courtesy of Instagram

Two of the covers of the debut edition of Vogue Hong Kong, featuring Chinese model Fei Fei Sun (left) and Sun with Gigi Hadid.

Racism row over ‘Living With The Lams’, BBC children’s comedy about British-Chinese family, written by mainly white team

Chinatown in Manchester: the series ‘Living With The Lams’ will tell the story of a British-Chinese family running a restaurant in Manchester. Photo: Shutterstock

e Scottish-Chinese actress Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang in the Harry Potter movie series.

Cheryl Taylor, controller of the CBBC channel, for kids.

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World

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The father of tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams will be the subject of a Hollywood film
But the casting of Will Smith to play the darker-skinned Richard Williams has sparked a backlash over ‘colourism’


The father of tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams will be the subject of a Hollywood film. But the casting of Will Smith to play the darker-skinned Richard Williams has sparked a backlash over ‘colourism’.


American cinema