Nina Simone Biopic Director Sues Producers Over Film
After attracting a ton of controversy last year, the Nina Simone biopic Nina finally screened for buyers at the Cannes Film Festival this week. One person who was not in attendance at the screening: the film's director, Cynthia Mort.
Mort filed a lawsuit against the production company for the film the day before the screening, claiming the company "hijacked" the project from her and took away her ability to make critical creative decisions. Needless to say, Mort is not happy with the way the film turned out.
Nina, which stars Zoe Saldana as the late singer, kicked up a storm on social media last year, with many of Simone's fans upset that Saldana was chosen to portray the icon on the big screen. Saldana responded to the backlash by telling BET.com exclusively, "It was very disappointing that a community you feel most identified with would have such a negative backlash, and you're the epicenter of it all."
Hopefully the lawsuit won't keep Nina out of theaters so fans and haters alike can see what all the fuss is about.
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(Photos from left: John Minihan/Evening Standard/Getty Images, Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)