Bayonetta 3 voice actress Jennifer Hale has the developer’s “full support”, even while it thanks “contributors” to the series amid a debate about payment for game actors.
A statement from PlatinumGames via Twitter attempts to draw a line under the recent controversy, while also backing the new voice of Bayonetta.
“We at PlatinumGames offer our sincerest appreciation to everyone who has contributed to creating the Bayonetta series over the years, as well as the community that has served as its foundation,” it said. “We give our full support to Jennifer Hale as the new Bayonetta, and align with everything in her statement.”
A Message from PlatinumGames pic.twitter.com/5ym1JxtBBn
— PlatinumGames Inc. (@platinumgames) October 21, 2022
The controversy began when original voice actress Hellena Taylor hinted that she wouldn’t be back earlier in the year. Known as the voice of Bayonetta, Taylor was beloved by fans of the series, and when Jennifer Hale was cast in the role instead, the replacement wasn’t exactly met with enthusiasm.
“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,” said Platinum Games at the time. “I’m confident that her portrayal of Bayonetta will exceed our fans’ expectations.”
These concerns were amplified when Taylor claimed she was offered just $4000 to return, but this is where it all gets a bit messy.
“The Bayonetta franchise made an approximated $450 million, and that’s not including merchandise,” said Taylor. “As an actor, I trained for a total of seven and a half years – three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Lambda with voice coach Barbara Berkery, and four and a half years with the legendary Larry Moss in Los Angeles. And what did they think this was worth? What did they offer to pay me? The final offer to do the whole game as a buyout, flat rate, was $4,000 USD.”
Taylor then called on Bayonetta fans to boycott the game, and while Hale was unable to comment on the situation, she did issue a response:
“As a longtime member of the voice-acting community, I support every actor’s right to be paid well and have advocated consistently for this for years,” she said, adding that she was “not at liberty to speak regarding this situation,” but that she hopes “everyone involved may resolve their differences in an amicable and respectful way.”
The situation gets even more convoluted as a report appears to confirm that Taylor was actually offered $15,000 for her return – a significant increase on her pay for Bayonetta 2. Despite this, Platinum Games is clearly trying to draw a line under it all and has called upon fans to not disrespect either Hale or “other contributors” to the series.
“We ask people to please refrain from any further comments that would disrespect Jennifer or any of the other contributors to the series,” they said.
Bayonetta 3 is due to be released on October 28, 2022.
Want to read more about Bayonetta? Check out our hands-on preview of Bayonetta 3 as well as what comes with each of Bayonetta 3’s different editions.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
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