Andrew Garfield sparks backlash after telling billionaires to be ‘scared’ of his new film

Andrew Garfield has sparked backlash after claiming that billionaires should be 'scared' of his new film.

The Spider-Man actor stars in the upcoming film The Uprising, a historical epic which tells the story of England's 1381 Peasants' Revolt, a series of rebellions which took place across the country after the King raised taxes on the overworked peasantry.

Garfield plays a character referred to as 'The Ploughman', one of the leaders of the uprisings in the film. Speaking about the movie during a Los Angeles film screening, the 43-year-old was asked what message he hoped audiences would take away from The Uprising, prompting him to make a pointed dig at the world's one percent.

"I hope that if any billionaires watch it, they’re scared s***less," he told the crowd in the clip shared online by The Movie Report, prompting a reaction of cheers and claps from those in attendance.

(Chloe Kern/WireImage)

While those in attendance enjoyed the dig, it has since caused division online, as several people criticised Garfield for trashing billionaires while having an estimated net worth of £11 million ($16 million).

Granted, that's pocket change to the world's billionaires, but still a hell of a lot more than the average person is worth.

“Hilarious that world-famous, multi, multi millionaire Andrew Garfield is cosplaying as a put-upon member of the working class,” Substack columnist John William Sherrod wrote in response, while ex-reality star Spencer Pratt added: "You mean…like the billionaires who greenlight your movies and stroke all your multi-million dollar paychecks? Or they good?"

"Famous celebrity richer than 99.999% of humanity tells billionaires to watch out. Sure buddy," added another X user, while a fourth wrote: "More billionaires were involved in making this than will probably ever watch it."

Probably not the response Garfield was hoping for...

Andrew Garfield as The Ploughman in The Uprising (Focus Films)

Aside from making a dig at the world's wealthiest, Garfield stated that he hoped the film would 'galvanise' viewers.

"I hope it’s galvanising," he said. "I hope there’s some awakening that people feel... that we all feel like our own struggles are being reflected in the struggles of these characters from a distant time and place and that it could be directive."

Garfield's billionaires comment isn't the only backlash the film has caused in recent months, with viewers left confused after US promotional materials briefly tied the film to the fictional character of Robin Hood.

A famous part of English folklore, the name 'Robin Hood' was first referenced in legal records in the 13th century, later making his way into poems detailing a figure who robbed the rich and gave to the poor.

However, Robin Hood, who is largely considered to be a name for outlaws and not a real person, was not linked to the historical Peasants' Revolt, which took place over a hundred years after the name was first mentioned.

Focus Films later denied the link between Robin Hood and The Uprising, telling Metro: "The Uprising is a historical epic about the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, not Robin Hood. The UK marketing campaign does not make any reference to Robin Hood. Marketing materials posted by other countries that may appear in the UK online and on social media referencing Robin Hood are not issued or approved by us."