Hollywood

Hollywood is well known the for a slash and burn attitude to historical accuracy (as seen in U571) and now they are after Beowulf, who was apparently african. The nordic tribes did travel far and wide, but Itally was the southern extent of their conquests. Skin colour is not, yet, irrelivant for films. Especially when they are set with a real historical society as a background (imagine the fury that would arise from a film with a white Zulu, or a japannese emporer of China), so if the directors purpose really was to

"depict a strong role model for Afro Americans"

why not Othelo? I can guarantee the script would be better.