Think Like A Man. the hit film based off of Steve Harvey’s book, Act Like A Lady Think Like A Man, has reportedly been banned from release in France.

While there’s no nudity in the PG-13 flick, several outlets have suggested that the film gets no play in France due to the “lack of diversity” within the cast.

[Sidebar: Apparently they didn’t see what we saw… ]

Details + Producer Will Packer’s response below…

In a Martinique article entitled “Think Like A Man, But Not in France”:

Just weeks after the debate surrounding the election of Miss Black France 2012, another question is being discussed by French people of African descent: the cancellation of the release of the American movie “Think Like A Man” in movie theaters.

Attaining successful international distribution is by far 1 of the biggest challenges facing filmmakers of color.Surprising as it may be, the answer lies in the fact that the film has an all-black cast. French cinema is often pointed at for not fairly displaying all components of the country’s multiethnic population.

Apparently the French movie guild has decided to cancel the release of the blockbuster film, which broke US box office records when it earned over $33 million in first week ticket sales. The move held the number one spot for 3 weeks and still lands in the the top 10 after 5 weeks in theatres.

Will Packer, the producer of the successful film, responded to all the drama after being asked the following question surrounding the overseas ban:

Are the rumors, that films with Blacks in lead roles don’t do well overseas true? And if so, how do we get past that?

Excellent questions lady, first let me clarify that #thinklikeaman was not “banned” in France.However it is true that films with African-American leads(not named Will or Denzel) have struggled to perform overseas.

It’s a complex issue w/ complex solutions but suffice to say IMHO the ‘black films don’t travel’ theory is self-fulfilling.

And just for the record… it’s not just Packer’s flicks. Tyler Perry‘s “All Black” ensembles have been affected as well.

Black actor and producer Tyler Perry’s movies are never scheduled in any French movie theaters or are only released in DVDs, even though he has been used to leading the US box-office, as with ‘Why did I get Married’ and ‘For Colored Girls’.

The French society acts hypocritically, when it refuses to show movies from black producers who earn millions from conveying a positive message to the African diaspora through their films. (READ MORE)

Isn’t it interesting that a film featuring a “majority” Black cast could be banned (or on limited release) due to “lack of diversity,” while there are a gazillion films that don’t feature even ONE person of color?

Thoughts….?

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