How do you pronounce Opelousas? ‘Hit Man’ actor gets it wrong in new movie filmed in NOLA.

The portrayal of Louisiana people, accents and pronunciations in movies has always been rather hit-or-miss.

From cliches about the swamp, to aggressive Cajun accents and the hyper-focus on Mardi Gras, Louisianans have become accustomed to watching actors on the big screen get it wrong. 

For the most part, though, a recent New Orleans-set movie that was also shot in the Crescent City did its best to avoid the usual pitfalls.

But it still made one big mispronunciation that Acadiana residents may be giggling about. 

Newly-released Richard Linklater film “Hit Man,” which stars actor Glen Powell, is a crime-comedy that chronicles the mostly-true story of a part-time psychology professor who is enlisted by police to pose as a hit man and thwart the plans of men trying to kill their wives. 

Though the real-life version of events takes place in Houston, the movie was  set in New Orleans and adjusted accordingly to make a few Louisiana-centric references. 

For example, in a short Netflix trailer for the movie, Powell’s character Gary Johnson, dressed in a disguise, meets with a man looking to put a hit out on a woman. 

Powell tells him, while speaking a fake British accent, “If I take this envelope and leave, this time tomorrow her head is in a Winn-Dixie bag. The rest of her is pig slop in Opelousas.” 

Though instead of saying Opelousas in the correct way, Powell decides to give it an almost Midwestern flair, saying “Ope-a-lou-sas,” with a heavy emphasis on the “ope.” 

Could the mistake be attributed to the fake British accent he’s putting on? Potentially. 

But it wouldn’t be the first time (or the last time) Hollywood gets a reference to the Acadiana area wrong. 

Have you seen the movie? Let us what you think.