Nina, the biopic on Nina Simone, will have a limited release this spring.
The film has been mired in controversy since it was announced that Dominican-American actress Zoe Saldana would be playing the lead role. Saldana, who is noticeably lighter than Simone was, had her skin darkened and wore a prosthetic nose for the role. This led to an outcry from Simone fans and even Simone's own daughter told Ebony that she didn't approve of the casting. It was widely believed that this was an example of blackface and also contributed to darker-skinned actresses not getting a fair chance in Hollywood.
Nina was filmed in 2012. It was originally set to be released in December 2015, but was postponed. Now that the film is back on track, black Twitter has released its ire for the world to see.
In addition to the fact that Saldana had to darken her skin with makeup and alter her natural features to play Simone, many are bothered by the fact that the actress who has been accused of saying she doesn't identify as black is portraying a black woman. However, Saldana has gone on record saying she is proud of her black heritage.
Nina will be released on demand and in select theaters on April 22. Youu can watch the trailer here: