Kate Beckinsale Talks About The Whiteout Controversy

Kate Beckinsale Talks About The Whiteout Controversy

In this exclusive MTV video clip, we hear the actress' thoughts on playing Carrie Stetko in Whiteout as well as her views on the controversial changes to the graphic novel. Video may contain spoilers...

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By Mark "RorMachine" Cassidy - 9/11/2009

Reviews for Whiteout have been..mixed(to put it kindly) so far. But could the major changes that were made to the characters in Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber's graphic novel be part of the reason why the story didn't translate well? Check out this MTV interview with the movies star Kate Beckinsale and let me know what you think..

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Beckinsale maintains that she did not receive a copy of the graphic novel until long after she signed on to the movie.

"I was sent the graphic novel much more as a reference of this where this script came from," said the actress. "I like the fact that the character was this sort of tortured, sort of funny, person who has a point in her life where she won’t be trusting anybody."

I was not aware of this having never read the graphic novels, but apparently a lot of fans are up in arms over some major changes to the source. In particular, the gender change from female to male of the U.N agent(played by "The Spirit" star Gabriel Macht who assists Stetko. The graphic novel apparently hints at a little more than a friendship between the two ladies.

"It wasn’t really up to me," said Beckinsale. "By the time it got to me it was well past the graphic novel stage. ... But by then, [Stetko] hadn’t been a lesbian for quite a while by the time I got a hold of it."

I cant say I'm surprised really. Hollywood's lack of balls when it comes to something as "controversial" as a homosexual lead character is astounding. They will churn out the occasional "Brokeback Mountain" to point at in their defense. But this major character change is ridiculous.

I mean even thinking about it from a marketing standpoint, are these people so blind as to think putting this woman

in a movie were she plays a lesbian is going to turn OFF prospective audiences? I guess my finger just isn't on the pulse of society!

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26 Comments

	Skyh00k - 9/11/2009, 4:54 PM Login to report abuse Looks like a whole lota ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. Second!!!
	DDD - 9/11/2009, 5:00 PM Login to report abuse All the scenes I've seen of this movie tells me it will be a boxoffice dud! The scenes where it's supposed to be scary and suspenseful are just too flat and telegraphed. It isn't the actor's fault, it's the director's...and this would have been better if they left the lesbian storyline intact. More dramatic and involved. There is no need to shy away from Gay female relations in a movie anymore! Why doesn't Hollywood grow up and grow some balls?!
	GUNSMITH - 9/11/2009, 5:12 PM Login to report abuse OH SHOWER SCENE? MORE SKIN THAN UNDERWORLD?..HMMM
	dellamorte1872 - 9/11/2009, 5:12 PM Login to report abuse i was going to see it but, the reviews suck, there were apparently dramatic changes from its "source material, and my woman doesnt wanna see it....
	Skyh00k - 9/11/2009, 6:20 PM Login to report abuse Havent read any reviews. I just think ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzz cuz the trailer looks ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz. Hollywood changes things they think they need to in order to "help" when they are actually hurting a great deal. Just Leave It Alone and Trust the Audience.
	TheJester - 9/11/2009, 6:23 PM Login to report abuse http://www.oldschoolnewschoolpodcast.com/articles/2009/8/9/leaked-iron-man-footage.html Iron Man leaked footage. This is how its done right?
	TheTopherTap - 9/11/2009, 6:26 PM Login to report abuse Movie doesn't look great for sure, but still a comic movie and I'll see it and then bash it. Sounds like a great premise though and could have some potential to be a sleeper.
	HarrisonBergeron - 9/11/2009, 8:10 PM Login to report abuse I'm not seeing it because the trailer and commercial haven't given me the slightest idea what it is about. Kate Beckinsale is hot, but I can rent Underworld or Van Helsing for shots of her in a wet t-shirt or latex, not that I'm not turned on by a chick in a parka just as much as the next guy, it's just not worth the dough.
	StephenStrange - 9/11/2009, 9:11 PM Login to report abuse I just got back from seeing it. I didn't hate it, but I definitely should have seen "9" instead! lulz Oh well. Anyway the combat scenes out in the blizzard were pretty good. There is one very extreme logical fallacy in the movie, but I suspect that was in the book too. Her acting was patchy you know? Good in some parts, and horrible in others. A lot of times it was like she wasn't really trying. You know how an actor sort of has to "invent" their character within themselves? That barely happened here at all.
	davidzuck - 9/11/2009, 9:14 PM Login to report abuse Just got back from seeing the movie, it sucked...just a mediocre detective story, if even that...it's a rental, if even that too :P
	RorMachine - 9/11/2009, 9:30 PM Login to report abuse Darth, thats how she is in all her movies because shes simply not a very good actress! Its about time people got over her looks and stop wanting to see her play parts like Catwoman and stuff that we will actually care about. Because as great as she may look in those outfits, the sets around her will be less wooden.
	CaptainCanada - 9/11/2009, 11:41 PM Login to report abuse @grif Man i respect your opinons like i do everyone elses but i really cant remember seeing a possitive comment from you yet. im not tryin to start an argument but is your life that negetive?
	HarrisonBergeron - 9/12/2009, 12:56 AM Login to report abuse What is the movie about? What is the antagonist/conflict?
	JeremyBentham - 9/12/2009, 4:46 AM Login to report abuse i like your argument ror, but to be honest i dont think whiteout as a film wanted to be anything more than a post summer horror action film. adding a lesbian relationship would make the movie seem much more complex than originally intended, and unfortunately in our age in movies, something like a gay relationship would be controversial and would probably get more attention than the actual story itself. brokeback mountain is only known as a "gay cowboy movie" by most moviegoers...i doubt the producers of whiteout wanted it to be labeled as a "gay horror movie" so thats probably why they changed it
	RorMachine - 9/12/2009, 7:10 AM Login to report abuse Your probably right..but that in itself is just as stupid. So they have this crap, generic thriller which could garner some depth and attention from keeping these characters gay but they are happy to simply be seen as crap..without any depth or attention. Also, as far as i know the relationship is only hinted at, if they wanted to im sure it didn't even need to be a major issue.
	StephenStrange - 9/12/2009, 8:03 AM Login to report abuse LOL The only relationship in the movie is a budding friendship between Stetko and this shady U.N. investigator. They only just barely get into talking about personal stuff, but really through the whole time she's wondering if he's the killer.
	RorMachine - 9/12/2009, 8:45 AM Login to report abuse haha, and im sure he is! Him or Tom Skerrit.
	mgalusick - 9/12/2009, 11:11 AM Login to report abuse Is it just me or does this movie remind anyone else of John Carpenter's The Thing?
	TheJester - 9/12/2009, 1:26 PM Login to report abuse SO I'm serious. My link was Iron Man 2 leaked footage. I don't want to make a [frick]ing article. Someone jump on it.
	teneas - 9/12/2009, 3:25 PM Login to report abuse Ever seen "The Thing"? Looks a lot like it to me, but will see it on DVD anyway.
	Planeswalker - 9/12/2009, 3:42 PM Login to report abuse @Jester: I got wood, but you know that already... What is this Whiteout crap?
	Osiris - 9/12/2009, 4:38 PM Login to report abuse movie wasn't bad, but I haven't read the graphic novel yet, I have it just need to read it. the movie does a good job at keeping you guessing on who is all involved in the murder and what really happened to the guy. I was good but it wasn't awesome, but it is a murder mystery so what I didn't go in expecting an epic film, I just went for 2 reasons. 1. comic movie 2.Kate Beckinsale. oh and the shower scene has less skin then Underworld Evolution.
	TheJester - 9/12/2009, 6:47 PM Login to report abuse I dunno Walker, it seems like no one cares about iron man 2. thought I would spice up this section. But no one cares. oh well You saw it here first folks!
	RorMachine - 9/13/2009, 11:04 AM Login to report abuse Jester that footage was up on the site about a month ago dude!
	TheJester - 9/13/2009, 5:11 PM Login to report abuse see what happens when you drink and post? Seriously, My sincerest apologies.
	BeauH - 9/14/2009, 11:34 PM Login to report abuse Early in “Whiteout,” a murder mystery set in a South Pole research station, a federal marshal played by Kate Beckinsale strips down and takes a shower. Why? No particular reason. But enjoy it while you can, fellas. She’ll spend the rest of the film in a parka. That scene makes about as much sense as anything else in Dominic Sena’s thriller. Beckinsale plays Carrie Stetko, who requested this remote, easy assignment after a particularly ugly on-the-job incident. Her main duties involve riding herd on several dozen young scientists who behave like college freshmen during orientation week. Maybe after the Whiteout movie gets a quick payday, perhaps Hollywood can try coming up with something good for a change.

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