Given recent events involving things like Ferguson, Missouri, what would Hollywood studio execs and producers think if, for the first time in cinematic history, and especially, for the first time in the history of Hollywood, I, for one (if I were to become a film/animation director or something), will ever cast, say, for example, an Asian female (especially if she may be somebody just like, for example, Big Hero 6�s GoGo Tomago) as the main central character portrayed at the heart of, say, for example, an epic tale?



If so, and given Hollywood�s ongoing race-lifting or white-washing habits or worse, what would probably be Hollywood�s reaction if I (if I were to be a film or animation director) ever cast an Asian female (especially if she is young (and again, somebody like, for example, GoGo Tomago from Big Hero 6) as the main central character or hero/heroine portrayed at the very heart or center of a sprawling epic tale, for example?

Will it be either heated discussions or heated conversations being sparked (probably within the very heart of Tinseltown/Hollywood itself or elsewhere), or something else entirely?

Check out Racebending.com (http://www.racebending.com/v4/)

I don't have the answer to your question.

I'm not sure what Ferguson has to do with any of this, but the short answer is, it will happen when it will make money.

Movies are a business. If your films make money you make more. If you don't, you won't. It's a very expensive process and every decision should be made with care. Generally, you don't take chances with leads.
When you do, you a, have a very strong supporting cast, or b, have a filmmaker with a moneymaking track record strong enough to demand whatever they want. And they still have to prove it won't lose money.

So, to have a young Asian female lead you need one of two things.
You have a young Asian female actress who explodes in either a small independent, or in a supporting part in something so big, (and it will probably take more than one movie,) that they have a box office track record worth risking over a hundred million to spend on.
Or two, you have a very powerful filmmaker who can load the cast with an A List supporting cast to put asses in seats, that having an unknown will have no problem for box office revenue.
Notice that neither of these scenarios have anything to do with the content or quality of the films. Content and quality have surprisingly little to do with greenlighting movies.

One could consider the career of Lucy Liu, who started strong on television, and then transitioned to co-lead on a number of high budget, high profile films. This path, similar to Will Smith's, might have led her to being a solo lead, but the things like Ballistic: Excs Vs. Sever happen, and she never recovered. Similar story for Michele Yoeh, good critical notices, but could not ultimately put asses in seats. And the most important thing is, if you can't put asses in seats, you don't get the job.

Most recently, this scenario is playing out RIGHT NOW, with Annie. (Which interestingly enough, is also an example of racebending. Or reverse racebending. Take your pick.)
Quvenzhan� Wallisis given the lead in a $65 million film based on the very strong critical reaction (and surprisingly high box office,) of Beasts of the Southern Wild, a movie so small, nobody cared that the lead part went to a small child with no previous credits.
But, to cover their bases, they packed the film with an Oscar winner, and a few actors with rock solid box office records.
However, even then, taking chances on relative unknowns, regardless of ethnicity, gender, and what have you, are monetarily risky, and so not something that happens often. Given that Annie is underperforming, it will take a while before another opportunity is presented.

The main female lead of Pacific Rim was a young Asian....

JonC is right. Films are created to make money. They will cast whoever they think is best in the interest of making money. Everyone loves to run around crying "racist" when reality is very different.

There was Mulan voiced by actress Ming-Na, now of Agents of Shield. BTW, GoGo Tomago, who is Japanese, was voiced by actress Jamie Chung, who is Korean-American.

Also, Ridley Scott, who directed Exodus: Gods and Kings, was asked why he cast Caucasian actors as Egyptians and Hebrews. He responded that the film's financiers would never back a film with Middle Eastern actors. So it was a case of Go White or Go Home.