Jem and the Holograms actress much lighter than cartoon
Many 80s kids were excited to learn about the upcoming movie Jem and the Holograms, based on the 80s animated series Jem.
The cast for the movie has just been announced, and producers have tapped Aurora Perrineau, daughter of actor Harold Perrineau of Lost and The Best Man fame to play The Holograms drummer, Shana.
Aubrey Peeples has been cast as the lead, Jem, in the live-action Jem and the Holograms film, which is being directed by Jon M. Chu.
The Holograms have also been cast: Stefanie Scott, who starred on Disney’s A.N.T. Farm, will play Jem’s sister, Kimber; Pretty Little Liars actress Aurora Perrineau will play Shana; and The Fosters‘ Hayley Kiyoko has been cast as Aja.
Based on the 1980s Hasbro toy line that was also a beloved cartoon, the film will be produced by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions, Scooter Braun Productions and Chu. The film has been moving along quite quickly, and is already shooting.
The cartoon ran from 1985 to 1988 and chronicled the adventures of Jerrica Benton and her alter ego, Jem, a singer who fronted a band called The Holograms. When the project was first announced on March 20, producers saidJem is being reimagined “for a whole new generation with themes of being true to who you are in a multitasking, hyperlinked social media age.”
Read more at The Hollywood Reporter
Here’s the thing, though. Shana was decidedly browner than Perrieneau:
Why didn’t casting agents seek to find an actress who actually looked like the cartoon character?
Are there no young black actresses in Hollywood worth the shot?
Sound off below!