Nina Jacobson, who was the producer on the “Hunger Games” movies and whose next project includes “Crazy Rich Asians,” slammed Hollywood’s diversity problem as “bulls— prejudice which is disguised as conventional wisdom when it’s just bias.”
“For me, [projects are] especially meaningful if it feels like it would inspire other people,” Jacobson said at TheWrap’s annual media and technology conference, TheGrill, on Tuesday. “Something like ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ about the young person who has never seen a person that looks like them on a big poster like that or on the big screen.
“Or with ‘Hunger Games,’ for girls to see somebody they really admire, but who guys admire just as much, and to break through some of the really … honestly just bulls— prejudice which is disguised as conventional wisdom when it’s just bias,” Jacobson said, like false opinion such as “‘oh don’t you know, black movies don’t travel’ and ‘don’t you know, girls will identify with a male protagonist but boys won’t identify with a female protagonist.’ These things were all taught to me as though they were truths and they are all just biases. Bias, and it’s bulls—.”
Also Read: TheGrill 2017: Diversity Departments 'Have No Power,' Mitu Founder Beatriz Acevedo Says
The producer, whose credits also includes “American Crime Story,” also talked about the “relentless” pursuit of the young white male audience.
Also Read: TheWrap's 2017 Innovators Name Their Favorite Innovators
“The relentless sort of chasing of the young white male as like the holy grail, when by the way, you will never find a more distracted group of people who have more options for entertainment than the young male,” she said. “What with sports, video games, porn — they’re busy! They’ve got a lot to do.”
Jacobson, who spoke on the panel with president and CEO of eOne, Darren Throop, then talked about a movie she made with Wes Anderson titled “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” a project she was very passionate about, which caused them to spend way more money than they should have.
Also Read: TheGrill 2017: Diversity Departments 'Have No Power,' Mitu Founder Beatriz Acevedo Says
“You’re going to make mistakes, so at least they should matter,” she said.
Watch the video above.
TheGrill 2017: Exclusive Speaker Portraits From John Singleton to Lena Waithe (Photos)
Director and producer John Singleton
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Emmy-winning writer-actress Lena Waithe ("Master of None")
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Lena Waithe
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Cindy Lin, CEO, Infotainment China
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Stanley Rosen, USC professor of political science
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
David Grinberg, partner, Sidley Austin
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Tobias Queisser, co-founder, Cinelytics
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Susan Williams, deputy chair entertainment, Loeb & Loeb
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Jeff Weber
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Vicki Beck, executive in charge, ILMXLab
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Colin Brady, corporate development executive, CAA
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Chris Fenton, president, DMG Entertainment
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Sandra Stern, president, The Lionsgate Television Group
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Catherine Zhang, director of international content cooperation, Youku Tudou Inc
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Jan Pinkava, creative director, Google Spotlight Series
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Robert Goldberg, founder and CEO, Fresno Inc.
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Michael Bloom, president, First Look Media
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Sharon Waxman, CEO and founder of TheWrap
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Grace Helbig, comedian and vlogger
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Sky Moore, partner, Greenberg Glusker
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Kathleen Grace, CEO New Form
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Chris M. Williams, CEO and founder, Pocket.Watch
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Gary Newman and Dana Walden, co-chairmen and CEOs, Fox Television Group
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Screenwriter and director John Macinnes ("Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare")
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Rich Greenfield, managing director, BTIG
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Ted Schilowitz, futurist, Paramount Pictures
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Alec Shankman, SVP, Abrams Artist Agency
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Thai Randolph, svp, marketing & monetization, Laugh Out Loud, A Lionsgate Company
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Anthony Batt, co-founder, Wevr
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Andy Wood, chairman, Cubic Motion
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Megan Colligan, president, worldwide distribution & marketing, Paramount Pictures
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Emiliano Calemzuk, co-founder, Raze
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Darren Throop, president & CEO, EONE
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Dan Altmann, CEO and founder, WeBuyGold
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Franklin Leonard, founder, The Black List
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Beatriz Acevedo, founding partner and president, mitú
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
David Lancaster, film producer
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Adi Sideman, founder and CEO, YouNow
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Chris Silbermann, managing director, ICM Partners
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Nina Jacobson, executive producer, Color Force
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Farhad Massoudi, CEO, Tubi TV
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Noel Maxam, co-founder and CEO, Emagispace
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Karyn Spencer, AT&T Hello Lab
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Billy Parks, AT&T Hello Lab
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
TheGrill Speakers and Innovators
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills
Previous Slide
Next Slide
Gary Newman, Dana Walden and Catherine Zhang are among featured speakers at TheWrap’s annual media leadership conference
Director and producer John Singleton
Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia for TheWrap
Photographed at The Montage Beverly Hills