14 DAY TRIAL // Never mess with the fans or whatever idea they might have about how a certain project should happen. Although it was a well-known fact that singer Rita Ora would be making her big screen debut in “Fifty Shades of Grey” as Christian Grey’s sister Mia, the first official character poster with her sparked fury and disappointment in fans of the original novels by E.L. James.
If we’re to believe the more melodramatic of the lot, Rita’s casting as Mia Grey is the worst casting ever in movie history (Ben Affleck, you’re safe!). Others profess that Rita is simply wrong for the role, either because of the way she looks or because she’s yet to prove her acting chops, and the role of Mia isn’t the place for her to do that.
The consensus seems to be that producers and even E.L. James, who acts as executive producer, are ruining the film already. That might sound familiar, because fans have said it before at least twice.
Rita Ora is not a proper fit for the part
Embedded below is the second official trailer for the film: you can see Rita in character towards the end of the clip, in one of those flashes, during a family dinner. Most fans must have missed that because they were too focused on the chemistry between Christian (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia (Dakota Johnson), because it took the release of the poster above for them to realize that they hated Rita.
The word “hate” isn’t out of place here, trust us.
“Who the heck did the casting? Could they not find the actual hot people? The ones actually described in the book? Omg.. She looks scary,” one fan writes on the movie’s Facebook page. “She is too old to play Mia. Now I don't want to see the movie. She DOES not depict Mia AT ALL,” adds another.
And more of the same: “Rita Ora is a no talent hag!” and “So not what I pictured from the book. I cant believe [book writer] EL James allowed this.”
Similar reactions also abound on Twitter, as you can see clearly for yourself from the selection of samples we have included below. Of course, there are also those who try to be moderate in their response, saying that Rita is a beautiful woman and probably a good actress, but still apparently a bad fit for the part of Mia.
Matching fantasy with reality
In the adult-oriented books, Mia is described as a bubbly, lively, bob-haired, raven beauty. You don’t get an actual description of her as much you get a feel of her through the way she acts. So in reality, Mia could be anyone with a dark-colored bob and good looks.
What’s happening here with these fans, who are not few but neither too many to make a difference in the film’s box office, is that they’re suddenly forced to accept another’s view on a character instead of their own.
The reason why (most) movies don’t match up to the books they’re inspired from is that the world we imagine whilst reading comes to life, but it’s not our idea of that world that we’re seeing on the big screen, but another’s: the writer’s or the director’s or the producer’s.
Most of us feel a sense of disappointment when we see a movie based on a book we loved, because that is not the world we pictured. Fewer of us take our frustrations online, to say a movie will be ruined, based on just a photo.
What we’re saying is that Rita should at least deserve a fighting chance: if you’re one of those angry fans, wait until the movie comes out (February 2015) and hate on Rita if she doesn’t deliver, but not before.
"@westsideharrry: 1. Why is Rita Ora playing Mia Grey 2. Why does she have that hairstyle in the film" I WAS WONDERING THE SAME THING
— Keyonna. (@OneStarPride) November 27, 2014
Rita Ora has just ruined all my expectations for Mia Grey. I'm so disappointed
— (@EVEHUCKFIELD) November 27, 2014
Call me Miss Modesty but I'm better than Rita Ora for Mia Grey lol
— Chiara (@TwihardMuser) November 26, 2014
Rita Ora is definitely NOT what I thought Mia Grey would look like...
— Brenda Silva (@ItsBrendaSilva) November 26, 2014
