A Good Weekend for Zoe Saldana
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 5:15PM Though I mentioned yesterday that we'd probably skip the weekly box office report this Sunday, I had to note one major development. Despite it being a down weekend overall (thanks to hurricane stormy Irene), it's worth noting that the two top grossers were both headlined by actresses of color when it comes right down to it. Viola Davis and company remained on top with The Help (which will pass $100 million this week) and Zoe Saldana's first solo above-the-title gig Colombiana did pretty well despite overall attendance taking a hit.
The plight of ethnic actresses and role opportunities has long been a pet topic of The Film Experience. It's a far more important conversation than the lazy "the Academy is racist!" business you hear about every year. If the roles aren't there the Oscars simply cannot be; they can only react to what's placed before them.
I think it's worth noting and then watching what happens next with Zoe Saldana. Consider for a moment that she had the second billed role in the biggest hit of all time (Avatar), she was the only major female in another blockbuster (Star Trek) and now she has opened her own picture. Will she be "in demand" now in the way, say, Carey Mulligan already is without having to prove anything in the way of bankability? However distasteful and subjective "bankability" is, it is unarguably a factor in careers. So, isn't "Zoe Saldana?" a question you should be hearing Hollywood asking itself on a regular basis?
Do you think Hollywood will even notice this box office peculiarity or just go about their business as usual?
Zoe Saldana, box office
Reader Comments (8)
I think you'd be surprised at how many normal movie-goers didn't know that Zoe Saldana was in "Avatar" or if they did, they wouldn't register her with any other movie she's in. I'm not sure that she has proven to me to be Oscar-worthy yet, but if she keeps making hits she's bound to attract the public eye? Hopefully she turns out with a healtheir career than Halle Berry.
She's fabulous...so glad Zoe has another win because you know if it didn't there would've been a lot of ugliness behind closed doors. I just hope the studios are giving her credit and not saying the success is because of a million other reasons.
They will offer her Colombiana 2. End of Story.
Healthy Career????
Halley Berry got the Oscar even if she deserve it or not....
Business as usual, though for more complicated reasons than implied.
She was fantabulous in Avatar, although many will credit the CGI for whatever reason.
I feel like she could be the Academy's type of actress, but the skin color is always a speed bump for whatever reason. :/ I think she's headed in the right direction though.
I'm glad for Zoe Saldana (I think she's a little underappreciated in terms of talent by some internet users who constantly refers her as "over-the-top actress"). But I think she needs to be smart for the next choices. Look Halle Berry's post-Oscar career.
About Oscar's prospects, we don't know yet; but the last decade has shown us that there is always a surprise every season and nothing is written (Just an example: who would have thought Mo'Nique would win an Oscar after Charm School). Maybe in a few years, Zoe played an Oscar worthy role and she'll be the second black actress and the first Hispanic (From Dominican father and Puertorrican mother) actress who win a lead Oscar
It would be great if this BO success for Saldana led to some decent offers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but black and 'ethnic' actors don't seem to get multiple breakout roles in the way that Mulligan, Fassbender and Renner have at the moment. That's no slight on Fassy, Mulligan or Renner (all of whom I adore). But seeing Angela Bassett in Green Lantern last weekend just made me sad that she never got the roles she deserved after her Oscar nom.