In Suzanne Collins’ multi-million-selling trilogy of books, Rue – an ally of main character Katniss as they take part in a ‘fight to the death’ TV contest in a dystopian North America – is described as having “dark brown skin”.
But upon the release of the film version – which looks set to become the biggest-grossing box-office hit of the year so far – fans took to Twitter to complain about black actors playing key roles.
One user tweeted: “Why does rue have to be black, not gonna lie kinda ruined the movie.”
Another added: “Why did the producer make all the good characters black?”
Yet another posted: “I was pumped about the Hunger Games. Until i learned that a black girl was playing Rue.”
There have also been complaints about Lenny Kravitz playing the part of Katniss’s stylist, Cinna.
Amandla Stenberg, who plays the part of Rue, released a statement that said: “As a fan of the books, I feel fortunate to be part of The Hunger Games family.
“It was an amazing experience; I am proud of the film and my performance. I want to thank all of my fans and the entire Hunger Games community for their support and loyalty.”
Picture: Getty
