Toy makers cease production of action figures from Tarantino’s latest film Django Unchained after outraged black community leaders criticize them for ‘trivializing slavery’

Eight-inch plastic figurines were selling on Amazon to publicize new movie

Weinstein Company asks toy makers to cease production of dolls immediately following backlash



Toy makers have ceased production of controversial dolls of slave characters from Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster Django Unchained after outraged civil rights activists demanded they be withdrawn from sale.

The figurines represent characters from the ultra-violent film Django Unchained, which tells the story of a former slave who travels across America to find his wife and free her from slavery at the hands of a cruel plantation owner.

Amazon.com was selling three, eight-inch tall plastic dolls representing the black slaves Django, Broomhilda and Stephen as part of a series of figures from the film.

No longer for sale: The series of six action figures from the film are now unavailable from Amazon.com

But black community leaders called for them to be withdrawn from sale saying they 'trivialise the horrors of slavery'.

TMZ reported that shortly after advocacy groups including Al Sharpton's National Action Network and Project Islamic Hope spoke out, the Weinstein Company asked that the toy line be discontinued as soon as possible.



They were produced by National Entertainment Collectibles Assocation (NECA) in collaboration with the Weinstein Company, the studio that produced Django Unchained.

The toy company, which said they had no intention of causing controversy, ceased production immediately.



Only 1,000 dolls were reportedly produced before production stopped.



The Weinstein Company has yet to comment on the halt.

Najee Ali, director of the Los Angeles civil rights group Project Islamic Hope, said he and other figures in the black community were 'outraged' to hear of the action figures and said they were 'a slap in the face of our ancestors'.

Calling for a boycott of the products, which were by then no longer available on Amazon.com, he added: 'We feel that it trivializes the horrors of slavery and what African Americans experienced.



'The African-American community shouldn't allow anyone to disrespect our ancestors'



- Najee Ali, civil rights campaigner

'Tarantino and Weinstein didn't have action figures for their movie Inglorious Basterds because they know the Jewish community would never allow it, and the African-American community shouldn't allow anyone to disrespect our ancestors.'

Mr Ali organized a major protest and rally outside the Golden Globes Award ceremony to draw attention to 'the injustice and disrespect to our African ancestors.'

He was supported in this by the National Action Network, the New York-based civil rights organisation, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and several churches and other community groups.



National Action Network's president in Los Angeles, the Reverend KW Tulloss said: 'Selling this doll is highly offensive to our ancestors and the African American community.'



The three slave dolls were part of a series of several featuring characters from the film. The slave dolls show Django, the freed slave played by Jamie Foxx, Broomhilda, his wife, played by Kerry Washington, and Stephen, another slave, played by Samuel L Jackson.

The remaining, white, dolls include plantation owner Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo di Caprio, a bounty hunter called Schultz (Christoph Waltz), and Butch (James Remar).

Controversial subject matter: Freed slave Django (Jamie Foxx, left) comes up against plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio, right) in the film When the figures were announced, NECA Joel Weinshanker said the company was 'very excited to bring the stellar cast of Django to life and honoured to be working with another Tarantino masterpiece', according to the Daily Beast .

In the company's defence, the figurines are said to be intended not as toys but as collectibles for adults rather than children. But reviewers on Amazon.com, where the dolls are no longer available to buy, have other ideas. One wrote: 'Why? Really this is some racist s***! The movie was good, but this is inexcusable. Do the accessories include whips, chains and klan members?' Another said: 'I am in complete shock that someone would exploit the struggle of my ancestors and the entire freedom movement with such tasteless, classless, and disgusting "action figures". 'Shame on Amazon for even selling these.' The film has already attracted criticism for its subject matter and its liberal use of the word n*****, which is said more than 100 times. Director Spike Lee took to Twitter to express his outrage at what he perceived as offensive sujbject matter, saying: 'American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. 'It Was A Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them.' [sic]

Jamie Foxx stars as a freed slave who turns bounty hunter as he travels around America to find his wife and free her from slavery In Django Unchained, Christoph Waltz plays Dr King Schultz, left, a bounty hunter who asks Django (played by Jamie Foxx, right) for help

Django Unchained opened in the US on Christmas Day after its LA premiere was cancelled due to the Sandy Hook school massacre. It is due to open in the UK on January 18.

In the U.S. the film has become Tarantino's biggest box office hit, grossing $129.1 million in theaters since its release.



Tarantino, who has been under fire for his inclusion of racially charged language in the Django script, defended his inclusion of the N-word in the script - and repeated it in front of gathered reporters.

'They think I should soften it, that I should lie, that I should massage,' he told the Hollywood Reporter .



'I would never do that when it comes to my characters.'

The director also said that slavery continues in the U.S. - it has just taken on a different form.

'If you go to Malaysia, there's sexual slavery going on in places like that, but I'm more concerned about the slavery that is going on in America,' he said.