FAIRFIELD-SUISUN, CALIFORNIA
Sia performs during the Wango Tango concert at the StubHub Center on May 9, 2015 in Carson, California. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
Sia adds warning to Golden Globe nominee ‘Music’ after outcry from autism community
Pop musician and songwriter Sia has attached a warning message to her feature directorial debut, “Music,” shortly after the controversial film scored two Golden Globe nominations.
On Wednesday, the “Chandelier” hitmaker responded on Twitter to criticism from the autism community surrounding the musical movie, which stars “Dance Moms” alum and frequent collaborator Maddie Ziegler, who is not autistic, as a nonverbal autistic teen.
Pop musician and songwriter Sia has attached a warning message to her feature directorial debut, “Music,” shortly after the controversial film scored two Golden Globe nominations.
On Wednesday, the “Chandelier” hit maker responded on Twitter to criticism from the autism community surrounding the musical movie, which stars “Dance Moms” alum and frequent collaborator Maddie Ziegler, who is not autistic, as a non-verbal autistic teen.
Sia later deactivated her Twitter account but not before Variety transcribed her tweets.
“I promise, have been listening,” the Australian musician wrote. “The motion picture MUSIC will, moving forward, have this warning at the head of the movie.”
Pop musician and songwriter Sia has attached a warning message to her feature directorial debut, “Music,” shortly after the controversial film scored two Golden Globe nominations.
On Wednesday, the “Chandelier” hitmaker responded on Twitter to criticism from the autism community surrounding the musical movie, which stars “Dance Moms” alum and frequent collaborator Maddie Ziegler, who is not autistic, as a nonverbal autistic teen.
Sia later deactivated her Twitter account but not before The Times screenshot her tweets.
“I promise, have been listening,” the Australian musician wrote. “The motion picture MUSIC will, moving forward, have this warning at the head of the movie.”
Australian pop singer-songwriter Sia is known for hits such as
Chandelier but also for protecting her privacy, often concealing her identity with larger-than-life wigs.
It might come as a surprise, then, that the nine-time Grammy nominee engaged directly with critics of the new trailer for her upcoming film,
Music.
The project, which she’s calling a “cinematic experience”, will feature dancer and frequent collaborator Maddie Ziegler as Music, a teen with autism as well as actors Kate Hudson and Leslie Odom Jr.
Sia, who has dabbled in directing since 2014, released the trailer on Nov 19. Since then, a backlash has been brewing on Twitter around the portrayal of Ziegler’s character, who communicates her emotions through a tablet in the trailer, leaning into a disability the actress does not have.