UK Activists Recreate Iconic Film And TV Posters With Black Leads

Activists in the UK are shining a light on the lack of diversity in film and TV by rreimagining iconic movie posters with Black leads.

Going under the banner Legally Black, young Black Londoners have recreated posters for Titanic, Harry Potter, and Doctor Who. 

Deadline reports that the stealth campaign has been spotted in the Brixton area of South London. A statement from the group adds, “If you are surprised it means you don’t see enough Black people in major roles.”

Special Patrol Group, a group that has run campaigns targeting police corruption, helped put up the posters, which have since been removed and replaced with McDonald’s ads. 

Stars like Get Out actor and Academy Award nominee Daniel Kaluuya have been open about the struggle British Black actors face when it comes to casting, telling GQ that sometimes he’s “too Black” for Britain and “not Black enough” for America. 

Deadline adds that a recent study by the British Film Institute shows that between 2006 and 2016, Black actors played only 218 lead roles out of 1,172 British films. Additionally, Black actors played less than one percent of the total available roles.