Subsequently, Taylor reached out to the head of Platinum Games, Hideki Kamiya. A friend of hers translated her request into Japanese.
I received a response stating that he appreciated my contribution to the series and that the fans really wanted me to voice her again and that he still remembers the moment we first met.
That was the moment they offered me the 4,000 dollars.
Taylor is also disappointed with how Platinum Games communicated the recasting of the voice role. Game Director Yusuke Miyata said in an official statement at the time: “Various overlapping circumstances made it difficult for Hellena Taylor to reprise her role” (via Gameinformer).
Taylor herself says there were no scheduling issues that would have prevented her from voicing the character. She had nothing in her calendar but free time.
In the end, she also comments on her successor Jennifer Hale. She does not have the right to call herself the voice of Bayonetta.
Is 4,000 dollars really too little? This is currently being discussed online. To laymen, 4,000 dollars might sound like a lot of money at first. Samantha A Morrison, Casting Director for voice roles in games like Vindictus or Wasteland 3, explains:
There are probably between 8,000 and 10,000 lines of dialogue in the game. Assuming an average of 55 lines per hour (generously), that amounts to almost 165 hours of recording. Dividing that by 4,000 dollars gives you 25 dollars/hour. For the main voice actor, without reserves or buyout. Absolutely insulting for a franchise worth over 450 million dollars.
Via Twitter
The head Hideki Kamiya speaks out on Twitter – Causes confusion
What does the head say about the allegations? So far, there has only been a short statement on Twitter, which is causing further discussion:
I find the attitude of untruth sad and deplorable. That is all I can say right now. By the way: BEWARE OF MY RULES!
The ending especially leaves some confused. However, it is speculated on reddit that there may have been a translation error from Japanese to English.
Bayonetta 3 is set to be released on October 28 for the Nintendo Switch. Whether Hellena Taylor’s call has any effect will be seen by then.
For many players, the voice actors of their characters are very important. In Genshin Impact, a voice actress was even harassed for something she had no control over:
Voice actress from Genshin Impact is harassed after her voice was adjusted
Furthermore, she states that she is not afraid of a Non-Disclosure Agreement, which is an agreement that requires all parties to keep silent about certain earnings or content. She can’t even afford to pay for a car. What could possibly happen to her?
Taylor contacted lead developer Hideki Kamiya and was disappointed
How did the negotiations for the voice role go? Hellena Taylor explains in the third video that she initially had to audition for Bayonetta. This is not unusual. After the audition, she was supposedly offered the role – likely for even less than the 4,000 dollars.
Subsequently, Taylor reached out to the head of Platinum Games, Hideki Kamiya. A friend of hers translated her request into Japanese.
I received a response stating that he appreciated my contribution to the series and that the fans really wanted me to voice her again and that he still remembers the moment we first met.
That was the moment they offered me the 4,000 dollars.
Taylor is also disappointed with how Platinum Games communicated the recasting of the voice role. Game Director Yusuke Miyata said in an official statement at the time: “Various overlapping circumstances made it difficult for Hellena Taylor to reprise her role” (via Gameinformer).
Taylor herself says there were no scheduling issues that would have prevented her from voicing the character. She had nothing in her calendar but free time.
In the end, she also comments on her successor Jennifer Hale. She does not have the right to call herself the voice of Bayonetta.
Is 4,000 dollars really too little? This is currently being discussed online. To laymen, 4,000 dollars might sound like a lot of money at first. Samantha A Morrison, Casting Director for voice roles in games like Vindictus or Wasteland 3, explains:
There are probably between 8,000 and 10,000 lines of dialogue in the game. Assuming an average of 55 lines per hour (generously), that amounts to almost 165 hours of recording. Dividing that by 4,000 dollars gives you 25 dollars/hour. For the main voice actor, without reserves or buyout. Absolutely insulting for a franchise worth over 450 million dollars.
Via Twitter
The head Hideki Kamiya speaks out on Twitter – Causes confusion
What does the head say about the allegations? So far, there has only been a short statement on Twitter, which is causing further discussion:
I find the attitude of untruth sad and deplorable. That is all I can say right now. By the way: BEWARE OF MY RULES!
The ending especially leaves some confused. However, it is speculated on reddit that there may have been a translation error from Japanese to English.
Bayonetta 3 is set to be released on October 28 for the Nintendo Switch. Whether Hellena Taylor’s call has any effect will be seen by then.
For many players, the voice actors of their characters are very important. In Genshin Impact, a voice actress was even harassed for something she had no control over:
Voice actress from Genshin Impact is harassed after her voice was adjusted
Hellena Taylor was the voice of the character Bayonetta in the eponymous series in the first and second parts. For the complete dubbing of the third game, the developer Platinum Games allegedly offered the actress only 4,000 dollars. Taylor believes this is far too little and is now calling for a boycott of the game on Twitter.
What exactly does Taylor say?
- In three short videos, the actress spoke out on Twitter. She sits against a wall, speaking seriously, but also somewhat desperately into the camera.
- She explains that the Bayonetta franchise has made about 450 million dollars in revenue so far. She has over seven years of training as an actress and had her first television appearance in 1992 in the series Bookmark. And that is precisely why the offer of 4,000 dollars from Platinum Games was a shock and an insult.
- Since she declined the offer, Taylor has been worried about her future, fears becoming homeless, and has even had suicidal thoughts. She does not fear retaliation from the developers, as she does not even have enough money to pay for her car.
- Taylor now asks players to boycott the third part and instead donate the money to charity.
- The head of Platinum Games, Hideki Kamiya, has spoken out on Twitter. He complains about an “attitude of untruth”.
Taylor calls for a boycott, fears for her future
Why should players boycott Bayonetta 3? In the first video, Taylor explains that she trained for seven years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art with two different vocal coaches:
And what did they think that was worth? What did they offer me as payment? The final offer to voice Bayonetta throughout the game was 4,000 US dollars. That is an insult to me. The time I invested in developing my talent and in the game and the fans.
I ask you to boycott the game and donate the money that you would have invested in the game to a charitable organization.
In the second video, she further explains why players should carry out this boycott. She addresses, as she states, those who do not turn a blind eye to injustices.
Due to the situation around Bayonetta, she has also struggled with depression and anxiety about her future:
I feared I would end up on the street. That scared me so much that I was at risk of suicide.
Furthermore, she states that she is not afraid of a Non-Disclosure Agreement, which is an agreement that requires all parties to keep silent about certain earnings or content. She can’t even afford to pay for a car. What could possibly happen to her?
Taylor contacted lead developer Hideki Kamiya and was disappointed
How did the negotiations for the voice role go? Hellena Taylor explains in the third video that she initially had to audition for Bayonetta. This is not unusual. After the audition, she was supposedly offered the role – likely for even less than the 4,000 dollars.
Subsequently, Taylor reached out to the head of Platinum Games, Hideki Kamiya. A friend of hers translated her request into Japanese.
I received a response stating that he appreciated my contribution to the series and that the fans really wanted me to voice her again and that he still remembers the moment we first met.
That was the moment they offered me the 4,000 dollars.
Taylor is also disappointed with how Platinum Games communicated the recasting of the voice role. Game Director Yusuke Miyata said in an official statement at the time: “Various overlapping circumstances made it difficult for Hellena Taylor to reprise her role” (via Gameinformer).
Taylor herself says there were no scheduling issues that would have prevented her from voicing the character. She had nothing in her calendar but free time.
In the end, she also comments on her successor Jennifer Hale. She does not have the right to call herself the voice of Bayonetta.
Is 4,000 dollars really too little? This is currently being discussed online. To laymen, 4,000 dollars might sound like a lot of money at first. Samantha A Morrison, Casting Director for voice roles in games like Vindictus or Wasteland 3, explains:
There are probably between 8,000 and 10,000 lines of dialogue in the game. Assuming an average of 55 lines per hour (generously), that amounts to almost 165 hours of recording. Dividing that by 4,000 dollars gives you 25 dollars/hour. For the main voice actor, without reserves or buyout. Absolutely insulting for a franchise worth over 450 million dollars.
Via Twitter
The head Hideki Kamiya speaks out on Twitter – Causes confusion
What does the head say about the allegations? So far, there has only been a short statement on Twitter, which is causing further discussion:
I find the attitude of untruth sad and deplorable. That is all I can say right now. By the way: BEWARE OF MY RULES!
The ending especially leaves some confused. However, it is speculated on reddit that there may have been a translation error from Japanese to English.
Bayonetta 3 is set to be released on October 28 for the Nintendo Switch. Whether Hellena Taylor’s call has any effect will be seen by then.
For many players, the voice actors of their characters are very important. In Genshin Impact, a voice actress was even harassed for something she had no control over:
Voice actress from Genshin Impact is harassed after her voice was adjusted
