Over the decades, stories have emerged about some of the truly horrific ideas that Hollywood studios have thrown out there. Hell, at one point, there were reports that Sony was exploring a spy film about Spider-Man’s Aunt May. But this story about the origins of the film “Harriet” might just take the cake in showing just how insane studios can be when trying to make money.
Speaking in an interview with Focus Features, “Harriet” writer Gregory Allen Howard (who also reiterated the story in a new LA Times essay) told a story about how he originally pitched the idea of the film back in 1994. However, as he illustrates, it was a very different time in the industry and the idea that a Black woman would be able to lead the cast was completely out of the question.
But instead of just passing on the script, the studio was interested in changing up the character of Harriet Tubman, the African-American woman that led numerous slaves to safety during the mid-19th century, making her complexion…a bit paler.
“I was told how one studio head said in a meeting, ‘This script is fantastic. Let’s get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman,’” Allen said. “When someone pointed out that Roberts couldn’t be Harriet, the executive responded, ‘It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference.’”
The writer credits two recent films for changing Hollywood’s idea of whether or not these films about racial issues, led by predominantly Black casts would generate big bucks — “12 Years a Slave” and “Black Panther.”
“Two films really changed the climate in Hollywood to allow ‘Harriet’ to be made,” he said. “When ‘12 Years a Slave’ became a hit and did a couple hundred million dollars worldwide, I told my agent, ‘You can’t say this kind of story won’t make money now.’ Then ‘Black Panther’ really blew the doors open.”
Thankfully, we live in a world where Julia Roberts didn’t land the role of Tubman and the great Cynthia Erivo was given the chance. “Harriet” is in theaters now.