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In a recent interview with CinemaBlend, actor Jamie Foxx revealed his directorial debut may never be released because social changes made a key element of the film dicey at best.
It features actor Robert Downey Jr. playing a Mexican character.
Foxx shot the film, called All-Star Weekend, in 2016 with an all-star cast that in addition to Downey Jr. includes Jeremy Piven, Benicio del Toro, Gerard Butler and Eva Longoria.
But several elements of the film now seem out of step with the times and the film may not be in cinemas anytime soon.
\u201cJamie Foxx Says It\u2019ll Be \u2018Tough\u2019 to Release His Shelved Comedy That Stars Robert Downey Jr. as a Mexican\u00a0Man https://t.co/2YVAKSFsof\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1660755285
Foxx told CinemaBlend:
"It’s been tough with the lay of the land when it comes to comedy."
"We’re trying to break open the sensitive corners where people go back to laughing again…"
"We hope to keep them laughing and run them right into ‘All-Star Weekend’ because we were definitely going for it."
The film centers on a pair of best friends played by Foxx and Piven who win tickets to the NBA's annual all-star weekend, but their trip is upended by a series of wacky characters, including Downey Jr.'s Mexican character and a White racist cop also played by Foxx.
Foxx spoke previously about All-Star Game during a 2017 appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, likening Downey Jr.'s casting to his role in the 2008 satirical comedy Tropic Thunder, which lampooned self-aggrandizing method actors by having Downey Jr. play an Australian method actor playing a Black man in blackface.
Times of course have changed and such stunts often play very differently nowadays. And it seems Foxx is nervous to release the film in today's climate.
In a podcast appearance in May, Piven said Foxx "doesn't want to release" the film at all.
He went on to say:
"Foxx is really hard on himself. He’s one of these dudes, you know, he wants it to be perfect, so he’s been holding onto this thing for five years."
On Twitter, people were very divided on whether or not All-Star Game should be released.
Many felt the film sounded inappropriate.
\u201cSo Tropic Thunder minus any of the actual satire?\u201d— Gary Devenport (@Gary Devenport) 1660755605
\u201chis w h a t\u201d— \ud83c\udf08grace\ud83d\udc97\ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc99 they/them (@\ud83c\udf08grace\ud83d\udc97\ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc99 they/them) 1660758976
\u201c@Variety The reason comedy has changed is because people are seeing that marginalized groups were only laughing along because they had no power to make changes. Now, we all have a voice and the marginalized people get to say, "Hey, until you want to treat us right, that's not funny."\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1660755404
\u201cI bet you this headline is funnier than the entire movie...\u201d— Patrice Callender (@Patrice Callender) 1660764189
\u201cA white guy playing a Mexican is nothing to laugh about keep it shelved\u201d— \ud835\udd38\ud835\udd59\ud835\udd64\ud835\udd60\ud835\udd5c\ud835\udd52\ud80c\udcf5 (@\ud835\udd38\ud835\udd59\ud835\udd64\ud835\udd60\ud835\udd5c\ud835\udd52\ud80c\udcf5) 1660756873
But others were eager to see it.
\u201cLook how stupid everything has become.\u201d— Omri Ceren (@Omri Ceren) 1660825196
\u201c@Variety RELEASE IT guaranteed banger\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1660755285
\u201cTruly hope this film gets released one day. The world needs more comedies. #AllStarWeekend\u201d— Evan King (@Evan King) 1660780948
\u201cI one hundred percent would pay to see this.\u201d— Jotham the 1st. \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddec (@Jotham the 1st. \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddec) 1660765185
\u201cLook, I support representation. I support diversity. \nAt a certain level though, isn't acting supposed to be the performance of someone you are not. That's what acting is, no?\n https://t.co/ZhiIt036lk\u201d— Brad Pomerance (@Brad Pomerance) 1660778298
In the meantime, Foxx is appearing in Day Shift, a vampire comedy currently streaming on Netflix.