Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Spike Lee’s next directing effort will be produced by Amazon Studios. Now, the often controversial filmmaker is getting criticism for the title of the project, Chiraq.
Lee is looking to get Samuel L. Jackson, Common, Jeremy Piven and Kanye West for the film’s ensemble cast, according to TheWrap, which first reported the news. Amazon Studios didn’t comment and neither did reps for the actors.
The plot of the movie is unknown, but the title gives much of it away. “Chiraq” has become a term to describe the violence in Chicago. The Chicago Tribune confirmed that the film would be made in Chicago. In addition, three of the stars Lee is considering (West, Piven and Common) were raised in Chicago.
The title has already sparked some controversy in Chicago, even though the project hasn’t even been confirmed by Amazon yet.
Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale told The Chicago Sun-Times that the title is “very offensive” and an “insult” to the city.
“People are stigmatizing Chicago unnecessarily,” Beale told the Sun-Times. “We have a lot of good communities. Yes, we have challenged areas and we’re attacking those challenging areas. But we don’t need anybody coming in trying to highlight the problems we’re having. To stigmatize our city as ‘Chiraq’ is an insult to me and, I’m sure, to the rest of the residents of Chicago.”
Other residents also told the Tribune on Friday that the title is not a good idea. Even if Lee does try to take a serious look at the problem of gun violence in the city, residents interviewed still say the title should be changed.
“That name does not really give us a positive look. That name belittles our city and I feel like it dehumanizes us,” rapper Aaron Pierce told the paper.
image of Spike Lee courtesy of INFphoto.com