Granddaughter of Time Bandits actor slams Taika Waititi's revival for 'tarnishing legacy' by casting people of 'average height'
25 October 2022, 23:13 | Updated: 26 October 2022, 00:58
The granddaughter of an actor who starred in '80s film Time Bandits has slammed the upcoming revival for "tarnishing" its legacy by casting people of "average height".
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Abbie Grace Purvis, 22, shared her disappointment over the casting decision on social media, saying it was "tarnishing her late grandfather's legacy".
The granddaughter of Jack Purvis - who played Wally in the original - added that she felt "forgotten", after initially being excited about the opportunities the upcoming release may offer.
The fantasy film is set for an Apple TV+ series reboot with Taika Waititi at the helm and starring big names including Friends icon Lisa Kudrow.
The cast will also include Kal-El Tuck from Unseeing Evil, House star Charlyne Yi and Martyrs Lane actress Kiera Thompson.
Speaking in a TikTok video, Ms Purvis said: "When I heard there was going to be a series, I was over the moon.
"I happen to also be an actor, thanks to my grandfather, and I finally thought that people like me were going to be represented in my generation and not always have to refer to an 80s film."
She continued: "Time Bandits is the only film that's ever represented people like me in a way that isn't seen as a goblin or one of Snow White's seven little men.
"This was a film that changed the times and it was ahead of the times to be honest because people like me weren't treated the same as they are now.
"For a generation that is so big on talking about inclusivity and diversity and making sure that everyone's heard, this whole casting choice just seems absurd."
Ms Purvis then went on to directly appeal to the team behind the new production.
"Taika Waititi and team, please can someone answer me," she said.
"Can you tell me why you're tarnishing not only my late grandfather's legacy but the other short actors in that film - some of them are no longer with us - just because it doesn't fit your normality?"
The project has been in development since 2019, with Mr Waititi also set to direct the first two episodes of the series.
The adaptation "centres on a young boy who discovers a time-travelling portal in his bedroom", according to its official IMDb page.
The move comes after it was also revealed that the upcoming Snow White live action remake would be reimagining the dwarf characters after Disney hired consultants.
In a statement, a spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter: "To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community.
"We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period."
It followed criticism from Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage who said: "I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White — but you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
"It makes no sense to me. You’re progressive in one way, but then you’re still making that f***ing backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together?" the actor went on to say in an episode of the WTF podcast.
