Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment stars Michelle Rodriguez as a hitman who has been turned into a woman. The Fast and Furious femme fatale is poised to play a male hitperson who is turned into a female one. To be crystal clear, the official synopsis reads: “A revenge tale about an ace assassin who is double-crossed by gangsters and a rogue plastic surgeon operating on the fringes of society. The story becomes a trail of self-discovery and redemption against a criminal mastermind opponent.”
The original working title, Tomboy, was renamed to avoid the controversy that could ensue using an oft-derogatory term. However, with Rodriguez playing in a movie where gender reassignment is spelled out as cruel punishment, the social outrage is far from over.
“We haven’t read the script, but it’s disappointing to see film-makers turning what is a life-saving medical procedure for transgender people into a sensationalistic plot device,” GLAAD spokesperson, Nick Adams, told The Hollywood Reporter, “We are at a crucial moment in the public’s understanding of transgender issues, and stories like these have the potential to undermine the progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve.”
In a TMZ video clip, the Dominican/Puerto Rican actor has this to say about her role concerning the LGBTQ community: “If anything, it’s frickin’ promoting it.” She then goes on to erroneously misgender Caitlyn Jenner by referring to “him” as Kris. “Thank Kris Jenner for becoming who he became,” she said. “Now you have a popular subject matter that nobody wanted to make a movie about, and now everybody’s on it.”
Rodriguez, who has publicly come out about her own identity and bisexuality, is seemingly losing with a community she claims to ally with. Her “IDGAF” attitude might not win over as many audience members this time around.