Anger over Johansson's lead role in anime film

As A-list stars go, studio bosses know she’s a name that will draw audiences in.

However, the decision to cast an American actress as the lead in the remake of a Japanese anime classic continues to anger many fans of the original.

Ever since the casting was publicly announced, the term “whitewashing” has followed the film.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Johansson said: “I would never attempt to play a person of a different race, obviously.”

She explained: “This character is living a very unique experience in that she has a human brain in an entirely machinate body. She’s essentially identity-less.”

There’s no question it will do well at the box office, but over 100,000 people have signed a petition saying the part should have gone to a Japanese actor.

Theatre director Andrew Keates is perhaps an unlikely voice to be campaigning for the rights of East Asian actors. But it is an issue he has come to feel passionately about.

He said: “What we’re doing is painting a picture of reality where there’s often no minority groups – that’s dangerous when people having unrealistic understandings of what reality is.

“I think that’s absolutely terrifying, we need to reflect the beauty of reality rather than this faux picture.”

In casting his latest play Chinglish at London’s Park Theatre – a comedy about the cultural differences between East and West – Keates insists it would never have crossed his mind not to cast East Asian actors.

So in January, when he learned that another London production was staging an all-white casting of In The Depths Of Dead Love – a play set in China featuring Chinese characters – he felt so angry he organised a protest.

About 50 people joined him, outraged over what they saw as the “racist” casting of the show at London’s Print Room.

“I would hope that any theatre company or producers would realise that putting on works from minority groups is not a risk, it’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase talent,” he added.

“What I would love our industry to be doing is representing in the mainstream, what is actually happening in reality which is different shapes, races, sizes and sexualities.”

Chinglish is on at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park until 22 April.