Heroism, Race, and Minority Lead Roles in Global Cinema Blockbusters

Abstract

The purpose of my research is to determine whether race primarily affects the overall success of a movie across genres if the lead role or hero of the movie is of racial minority status. Factors such as racial stereotypes and colorism are discussed as well as the influence of Hollywood on global movie markets. Based on the worldwide success of the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther with an all-black cast, I aim to discern and sort through its factors of success to determine if those same factors were present in other minority lead roles in top-selling movies across different genres spread over an eight-year timeline. Total movie sales, marketing and promotion initiatives, and published movie reviews are used to conclude if race really is a determining factor as are other factors. These other factors include overall popularity of a particular genre with a particular audience of movie market, or overall branding of the movie when connected to a big franchise or major studio name in comparison to the status of an independent film. Research was also conducted on why certain top-selling domestic movies are not popular or marketed at all overseas. My opinion is that race is indeed a primary factor as to why certain movies are both domestically and globally well-received and others are not. The trends reveal that while the race of the lead role or hero in the movie is indeed a factor, it is most often times not the primary or even secondary reason behind a movie’s failure or general unpopularity.