Escarabajo Power
Left to right: Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio, George Lopez as Uncle Rudy, Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, Belissa Escobedo as Milagro and Damián Alcázar as Alberto in “Blue Beetle.” Photo courtesy Hopper Stone/SMPSP/Warner Bros. Entertainment
Latino organizations mobilize in support of “The Blue Beetle,” the summer’s biggest Latino-themed movie
Words by Saida Pagán, @SaidaPagan.
When members of the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA took to the picket lines this spring and summer, many Latinos in Hollywood expressed their solidarity. Yet they knew the landmark union action might affect the box office of “Blue Beetle,” a critical project for Latino representation. The movie features the first Latino superhero in the DC Comics universe and is the first live-action superhero movie led by a Latino cast.
Union rules prohibit actors from promoting their films during the strike, and that lack of pre-screening visibility threatened to crimp the movie’s opening weekend–which unofficially began on August 17, 2023.
Seeing the potential conflict around a project deemed pivotal to the growth of Latino inclusion in Hollywood, a sizable group of Latino entertainment organizations began meeting. By mid-summer, the growing coalition was strategizing ways to support “Blue Beetle” during the strike.
Ruben Garcia, a coalition member with previous experience in cultural business strategy at Creative Artists Agency, recalls the sentiment of writers, producers, directors and other Latino creatives at the initial meetings.
“This is a moment to unify, this is a moment to align, and come together in support of these incredibly talented individuals and try to uplift their work," Garcia said, remembering the motive behind the first meetings.
“Blue Beetle,” released by Warner Bros., has a predominantly Latino cast and creative team. Xolo Maridueña (“Cobra Kai” on Netflix) in the title role is joined by comedian George Lopez and Damián Alcázar (“Narcos” on Netflix) who play his family members. Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer is the screenwriter and Ángel Manuel Soto directs the film.
Latinos have long struggled for casting opportunities in Hollywood and for the chance to tell authentic stories to worldwide audiences by leading more movies and television shows as writers, producers, directors and executives. Latinos represent nearly 19% of the U.S. population and about half the population in Los Angeles county. Yet study after study has shown that Latinos are still greatly underrepresented in professional positions in the film industry.
In recent years, however, there have been signs of true change, so the box office success of ”Blue Beetle” is seen by many in Hollywood as critical to the future of Latino-centered motion pictures.
“(Blue Beetle”) is incredibly important,” Garcia said. “This is a film for everyone, there is a (wonderful) family component and family narrative … We want our community talking about that as well as saying, ‘This is an incredible moment for Latino representation.’”
Ahead of its opening weekend, coalition writers, producers and others decided to team up with several Latino advocacy groups around the country. The first step was a widely distributed open letter signed by 27 Latino organizations and written in both English and Spanish. It read in part:
“Stories are more than entertainment. They are a powerful tool for social change that fuels our collective movement to build a more equitable, just world for those who have been historically underrepresented and marginalized.”
“For the sake of current and future generations of Latinos, we will not delay our progress any longer. We invite you to join us in our effort to amplify the work that countless Latino artists have worked so hard to create. It’s important that we show up for them at a time when they are not able to promote their projects.”
SHOW OF UNITY
In the run-up to the launch of “Blue Beetle,” the coalition turned to social media with posts featuring the hashtag #SupportLatinoCreatives. They also sponsored and hosted theater buy-outs at movie houses across the nation and raised money to distribute free tickets to the film in cities across the country.
At a special fan screening in Hollywood in mid-August, “Blue Beetle” director Ángel Manuel Soto said he was proud to “finally” see a superhero movie that doesn’t depict Latinos as reliant on others. “It’s about time that we can tell that story and show the world that we can save ourselves, too,” Soto said.
Xolo Maridueña and director Ángel Manuel Soto on the set of “Blue Beetle.” Photo courtesy Hopper Stone/SMPSP/DC Comics/Warner Bros. Entertainment
This unprecedented show of unity in support of Latino-themed movies is not likely to stop with “Blue Beetle.” Organizers say more and more groups are now joining them, and even from the start, the coalition had been planning to advocate on behalf of other films scheduled for release in 2023, including “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” “A Million Miles Away,” and “Radical.”
“This is a turning point for us,“ Garcia said.
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Saida Pagán is an award-winning Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, on-camera performer and television host. Born and raised in New York City, and of Puerto Rican heritage, Pagan has reported and produced for news organizations across the United States and has appeared in nearly 100 prime-time television programs, major motion pictures and other media projects. Pagan’s journalism has tackled social issues such human trafficking, workplace illness, child abuse and challenges faced by ethnic actors. Her TV news series, “The Color of Movies,” was placed in the archives of SAG-AFTRA after a special ceremony honoring her work. She is currently working on a documentary series chronicling the history of the city of Los Angeles.