Bayonetta 3, which is scheduled to be launched on October 28th, has found itself in the middle of a controversy. In the beginning of this month, PlatinumGames, the developer of the action-adventure video game, announced that voice actor Hellena Taylor, who voiced Bayonetta in the first two instalments of the game, would not be reprising her role in the upcoming part.
The developers stated that due to ‘various overlapping circumstances’, the voice will be lent by Jennifer Hale, known for her roles like Commander Shepard. Taylor has now gone on record to say that she did not reprise Bayonetta’s role, not because of some conflict, but because of the pay that she was offered.
Hellena Taylor says she was Offered $4000 for Voicing Bayonetta in the Third Part
Taylor posted a series of videos on Twitter, revealing that she was offered only $4000 for the role, which features a voice actor performing multiple versions of the same character. Taylor had spent years studying and honing her craft and made Bayonetta a sultry icon with her voice, so she felt insulted by the offer.
“I decided to do it to stand up in solidarity with people all over the world who do not get paid properly for their talents. Fat cats cream off the top and leave us the crumbs. I worried that I was going to be on the streets,” Taylor said in one of the videos.
Friends, Worldlings, Bayonutters. Hear ye!#PlatinumGames #Nintendo #Bayonetta #Bayonetta3 #Bayonutters #Boycott #NintendoEurope #NintendoAmerica #NintendoJapan pic.twitter.com/h9lwiX2bBt
— Hellena Taylor (@hellenataylor) October 15, 2022
The actor was cast as the voice of the witch in the original Bayonetta game in 2009. She then reprised her role in its successful sequel, Bayonetta 2, in 2014 and was appreciated by fans worldwide.
Hellena Taylor Calls for Boycott of Bayonetta 3
Earlier, game director Yusuke Miyata had said that they held auditions for the role, and Jennifer performed exceedingly well. “I understand the concerns some fans have about the voice change at this point in the series, but Jennifer’s performance was way beyond what we could have imagined,” he had said.
However, Taylor has called the whole development ‘immoral’. “Sometimes think I’m not very much like Bayonetta at all. But I guess I am a little bit more like Bayonetta than I thought. I understand that boycotting this game is a personal choice, and there are those who won’t,” she said in her videos.
“And that’s fine. But if you’re someone who cares about people, who cares about the world around you, who cares about who gets hurt with these financial decisions? Then I urge you to boycott this game,” Taylor continued.
Executive Director Hideki Kamiya Responded to Taylor’s Claims
Though none of the game’s representatives has made any official statement on Taylor’s claims, the executive director of Bayonetta 3, Hideki Kamiya posted a cryptic tweet targeting Taylor and hinting that he will block the people who will support the voice actor.
“Sad and deplorable about the attitude of untruth. That’s what all I can tell now. By the way, BEWARE OF MY RULES,” he tweeted. And going by the ‘rules’, several people and publications have stated that they have been blocked by Kamiya after they reported Taylor’s case.
What is your take on Hellena Taylor’s revelations? Tell us in the comments section.
