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A line of Django Unchained action figures, which the Weinstein Company swiftly pulled from production after being accused of ‘packaging and selling slavery,’ are now selling on ebay for thousands of pounds.
Toy makers Neca released the series of six dolls featuring the main characters from Quentin Tarantino’s new film, including three slave dolls – Stephen, Broomhilda and Django.
But the Weinstein Company, Tarantino’s movie producers, have confirmed that all manufacturing of the dolls has been halted with only 1,000 figurines already released.
A set of the dolls, bearing the likeness of Jamie Foxx, Samuel L.Jackson, Kerry Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio are being sold on the auction site by US toy traders, with a Buy It Now tag of $1,300 and the price is set to rise.
Django Unchained has been targeted by a barrage of criticism for its depiction of slavery in America’s Antebellum South in the 19th century and the repeated use of the n-word, which appears more than 100 times in the movie.
Among the most outspoken opponents of the merchandising move was Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and director Spike Lee who called for a national boycott of the film and its merchandise.
Al Sharpton’s network said: “Selling this doll is highly offensive to our ancestors and the African American community.”
the Weinstein Co were quick to respond to the criticism by halting the production line and release a statement explaining: “In light of the reaction to the Django Unchained action figures, we are removing them from distribution.
“We have tremendous respect for the audience and it was never our intent to offend anyone.
“They were meant to be collectibles for people aged 17 years and older, which is the audience for the film.”
The film has taken close to $130 million so far at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film of Tarantino’s career.
The Jackie Brown director has defended his movie, saying that it would have been inaccurate if he had ignored the n-word or the grim treatment of slaves, which is mostly omitted from Western movies and adding he is pleased that it has sparked debate on the subject.
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