'In The Heights' Director Has Disappointing Response To 'Whitewashing' Criticisms

"We're not going to get everything right in a movie," Jon M. Chu, who faced similar backlash for "Crazy Rich Asians," told The Root.

After a yearlong delay due to the pandemic, “In the Heights” opened in theaters last week to near-universal praise from critics, many of whom hailed it as a cinematic celebration of Latinx culture. The movie, based on the 2008 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda, has nonetheless drawn a fair amount of online backlash for its glaring lack of Afro-Latinx representation. The cast features many light-skinned and white-passing actors, including Anthony Ramos and Leslie Grace — and many see the film as a less-than-accurate depiction of New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood, where it takes place. The film’s only Black principal character, Benny, is played by Corey Hawkins, a non-Latino actor.  Speaking to The Root’s Felice León in a video interview last week, director Jon M. Chu touched on accusations that the film had been “whitewashed.”