Slumdog Star Joins Shymalan’s Airbender
The Last Airbender (2010) Movie — By Nix on February 2, 2009
Looks like M. Night Shyamalan’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” movie is rounding out its cast, with the new addition of Indian star Dev Patel, the star of the critical hit “Slumdog Millionaire”, the odds-on favorite to take the hardware at the Oscars this year. Patel will join a cast that already includes Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone and Jessica Jade Andres. Texas martial arts guy Noah Ringer will play the lead, Aang, while Patel will play Zuko, a member of the Fire Nation, a role that was supposed to go to Jesse McCartney, who had to ditch it because the role conflicted with his tour dates. He’s apparently also a singer, my niece tells me.
Variety reports:
Patel was “already one of the guys I was interested in. Then I saw ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ and the kid just grew in my eyes,” he said.
Tyro thesp Ringer will play Aang, the film’s lead, who is the last of a race of people who can manipulate the elements of air.
Ringer, a 12-year-old from Texas, landed the part after demonstrating his martial arts skills in an Internet vid that he posted to a website Shyamalan set up for open virtual auditions.
Patel will play Zuko, a member of the Fire Nation. Peltz plays the Water Tribe rep Katara, while Andres is the Earth Kingdom’s representative, Suki.
So what’s the twist this time, M. Night? It all turns out that James Cameron is really directing, and aliens pop out and eat everyone? Actually, that would be kinda cool…
Below: The joke around the Fire Nation is that Zuko likes to run into doors with his eye. He’s kind of wacky that way.
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13 Comments
Dude, I seriously can’t believe that this is happening… Zuko was by far my favorite character, and to see someone who can barely act (and barely look like him) take on this role makes me VERY dissapointed. Zuko was a crucial character, and if this guy can’t even get near the level of acting out Zuko’s emotions, then he’s gonna suck. Oh by the way, didn’t Zuko look half white and half asian on the show/ Why the hell is he and the rest of the fire nation Indian?! The darkest skinned people in the show were the people from the Water Tribe, and in the movie they’re going to be white!
DEV PATEL STARRING AS ZUKO IS THE WORST IDEA EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! HE SHOULD BE A REALLY HOT JAPANESE BOY!! whose idea was this? its absolutely terrible!! please notify whoever is in charge of casting that this is a NECESSARY CHANGE.
I think it would have been great if they dubbed the original voices of the Avatar cartoon characters on top of the “real-life movie.” Log on youtube.com and search for Avatar, Aang, the true voice characters. That guy could have so-played the role. He looks like Aang and has the experience of how to sound during a situation.
But aside that, Im surprised no one has said anything about casting an all-white (except Patel) cast, where the “true” Avatar: The Last Airbender show is focused on Asian cultures, traditions, customs, features, and knowledge.
Unless the makeup is amazing and all these “white-casted folks” get crazy tans, then this is an outrage that will probably set off the Asian community.
See what happened to DragonBall Z the movie? The main characters were played by White Guys… Hrmm Thats Hollywood for you.