M. Night Shyamalan has yet to finish filming his adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but fans of the Nickelodeon franchise eager for a glimpse into the project can check out a new teaser trailer (embedded below) that has made its way onto the Internets. And though it’s giving me more of a Battle of Helm’s Deep feeling than an animé feeling, it doesn’t look half bad — barring the awkward fact, of course, that the sole actor featured in the trailer is a white boy playing an Asian character .
Now, it should be noted that Shyamalan has managed to atone for some of his original questionable casting decisions for the adaptation of the series, which is rooted in Asian culture — he cast Dev Patel in a role slated for Jesse McCartney, as well as non-white actors Cliff Curtis and Aasif Mandvi. And perhaps the coolness factor (CGI! Battle scene!) in the trailer allows you to forgive the director for any perceived white-washing anyway?
Either way, it is nice to see Shyamalan tackle a genre that doesn’t quite fit his formula. As long as the killer trees don’t serve as Aang’s biggest foe in the film, I’m happy. Thoughts, PopWatchers?
It sure doesn’t show much but I am still excited. Hopefully M doesn’t stray too far from the basic story.
As a fan of the animated series, I’m actually getting pretty hyped about this. M. Night has good source material to work with, so I’m crossing my fingers hard for this one.
I am a huge fan of the series, but I was and still am very disturbed by the casting of Aang. As an Asian American, the decision to cast a white kid in that role makes me feel invisible, a feeling that I presume can only be intensified by my watching this film when it comes out. As such, I am appalled by the suggestion that any kind of white-washing is forgivable.
your a rascist piece of crap and M doesn’t know anything about the series there r sooooo many flaws to this low budget film.
M. Night made exactly one good movie a long time ago and he has been making crap ever since. I have no doubt that this film won’t be any better than any of his recent efforts (e.g., The Happening, shudder). This is what Netflix is for.
agreed jeff
As a middle-aged viewer, Avatar was one of the few cartoons that I really enjoyed, after being introduced to it by my niece. But I’m really quite tired of hearing about the casting choices vis a vis ethnic actors being overlooked for roles that went to “white” actors. Haven’t we come to a place in history where people just accept people as **PEOPLE**? Why do we continually find an excuse to keep ourselves separated from each other, whether it be by religion, class, race or some other superfluous distinction that, in the long run, means nothing? I didn’t hear an outraged cry from people when Michael Clark Duncan was cast as “The Kingpin” in Daredevil. Nor was there turmoil in the streets when Marvel remade Nick Fury in the image of Samuel L. Jackson. In fact, no one even blinked when Starbuck did a gender switch in the new Battlestar Galactica. So, apparently, it’s only wrong to cast **white** actors in roles that have been misinterpreted to be designated as ethnic characters.
To Curt,
“**PEOPLE**” like you just don’t get it. One of the reasons that the show was such a hit was the multicultural cast. As for your “misinterpreted” comment… dude you are retarded. Do Katara and Sokka look white to you. When there is a derth of quality shows, to screw up Avatar is an unpardonable sin.
The controversy comes from the casting call- which CLEARLY shows a preference for Caucasian actors for the lead roles, despite the heavy Asian influence of the show, as well as the creators STATING that it takes place in an Asian-based fantasy world. This has nothing to do with “the best actor gets the role” and everything to do with the fact that there are PLENTY of talented Asian and Asian-American actors that just lost the chance to star in a big budget movie featuring strong Asian roles.
You yourself say you want people to be seen “just as people”…so how does that mash with the call for “CAUCASIAN or any other ethnicity”?
Curt,
Thank you thank you thank you thank you. As a fellow middle aged guy in his 30′s who loved the show I’m am beyond tired of the “racebending” nonsense.
But hey controversy drives traffic so expect everyone to keep harping on about it.
And no the show wasn’t awesome because it was multi-cultural, it was awesome because it had a great plot and great character development.
I really don’t think Curt and Dude understand why the Asian American community is so outraged and hurt by the casting for Avatar. As an Asian American of Chinese descent, I have to say that I AM offended that so few Asian characters were cast. Let’s put it this way…practically the only characters I ever see Asians play in Hollywood films are as ninjas, assassins, gang members, communist terrorists and the occasional antisocial nerd. Then comes a movie with Asian characters that are “normal” in the sense that they’re not bloodthirsty commies with an agenda to take over the world, and all of the title characters (all of whom look Asian)are Caucasian? Come On. Avatar is a series that took its roots from Asian cultures–the writing shown in the series, the beginning monologue…the names of many of the places and characters– are all translations of Chinese characters. Let me put it this way. The casting for this movie…is comparable to casting Asians and African Americans as soldiers in the Revolutionary War. It’s not accurate AND its offensive. The culture…the sense of honor, Confucian values, the imperial clothing of the Fire-bending nation are all indicative of Asian culture. Considering how the director kept mum about this whole controversy and did little to rectify the issue at hand… I guess I’ll just have to be soothed by the fact that this movie turned out to be so terrible, regardless of casting.
I am tired of all this “it needs to be cast with Asian people”. Have you ever watched the TV show?
Yes, the show has an Asian influence in the animation, but none of the main children characters look Asian, and they have always spoken in American accents. The actors who gave the voices to the children in Avatar are not Asian.
This isn’t David Carridine playing a fighting monk in the TV series, Kunk Fu.
Avatar doesn’t even take place on our planet. It’s a fantasy piece. There is no earth, there are no humans.
It’s a story about four tribes of human like people, and amazingly, the tribes of people seem to have been heavily influenced by Asian cultures. But, that’s where it ends.
My preteen and teen have been watching Avatar for years. And, I have watched many of the episodes with them.
Get over it.
http://www.matt-thorn.com/mangagaku/faceoftheother.html
The characters are perceived as Asian because their setting places them as Asian. If this took place in a fantasy medieval world, with knights, and dragons, and castles, and other European elements, would you would assume the characters are white, unless otherwise stated.
As for American accents, this show was created for an American audience. Logically, you’re going to find voice actors who can speak fluent English. And Iroh was voiced by an Asian actor.
What message does this movie give to Asian-American children? Their race isn’t even good enough to play themselves in movies. Once again, it has to be the white man to save the day.
WayBeyondSoccerMomTue you just doesn’t get it. There are many countries that do portray other races and cast them with their predominant race in tv. What makes this worst is that this movie is made in a society with various nationalities that can see it. The movie only casted Causcasians (many South/West Asians are considered Caucasians) for an East Asian themed setting (not an alien planet). From what I have seen in the cartoon, there some characters that do look East Asian. It’s very clear that there was a bias in the casting by slighting East Asians. People can see through this bias and this is why there is a controversy. If there is no voice to it, then people like you would walk all over it and allow racial biases (ie. discrimination) like this to continue in society.
Your the kind of person who would look at anime and say that they are all white. There is a picture of Anng that shows how exaggerated his features have to be to fit into what you and others view as “ASIAN”. It would be fine if one or two of the main characters were white, or at least if the actors chosen were chosen for talent. They requested Caucasians for the main cast but when it came time for the extras the casting asked for full or authentic looking Chinese, Koreans, Africans, Mongolians, etc. This means they know its supposed to be an Asian fantasy world but it can only be saved by white people.
@Curt,
Oh please. First of all, yes, there were many people who were annoyed with Nick Fury being a black man. Go on to any nerd message board at the time, and you’d see huge numbers complaining about the choice as being too sensitive, too PC, too affirmative action. And no one bat an eyelash at Starbucks gender switch? How can you be so confident of that, when you’re absolutely wrong?
Second, this is a completely separate issue. It’s set in a world dominated by Asian cultural influence. It would be like casting a movie about hte American Revolution with predominantly Asian actors.
I don’t have a problem with the casting, considering the creators are white, and I see it more of a business move than a racial move. But people like you, so clueless in every possible way about race, annoy the heck out of me.
Eric. I didn’t read your comment before I posted one of my own…but I used exactly the same example about the American Revolution.
I’m not the target audience for this film, but my brother is actually a fan of the show and he is very excited with the trailer…it looks good so far.
Hi Curt, no one complains about the casting switch up of Daredevil, or of BSG because they were attempts to diversify. Avatar was a great opportunity to address diversity by casting Asian Americans as leads. The casting of Avatar missed a huge opportunity to really give a wide audience something that could have been unique. The lack of creativity and risk in the casting alone reflects how badly the filmmakers are misinterpreting the source material. I will never watch this film.
Good – I will not miss you at the theatre!
@WayBeyondSoccerMom
God I hate that argument. “They don’t look Asian.” What in your opinion, I wonder, would they have to be drawn like to “look Asian.”
so you want to ignore the fact that people of different ethnicities tend to look a certain way? it’s not very hard to tell someone’s ethnicity by looking at them more often than not.
you try to make it sound like saying “he doesn’t look black” about a white guy would be ignorant stereotyping
crawl out of your hole
to curt and soccer mom there are plenty of movies and shows that have white actors, this was a great opportunity for film makers to show some positive asian characters that asian kids could ahve seen on screen.
i am of asian indian descent like shyamlan and i have to say i am very disappointed in him for not including asian actors.
the only asian “actors” in his movies seem to him and his wife.
To Eric:
My kids read Manga and watch Anime.
And, I don’t think there is anything wrong with noting that the animated children in Avatar are not drawn as Asian.
Again, Avatar is a fantasy and it doesn’t take place on our known Earth.
Avatar has even less Earth-bound relevance than the TV show, Firefly, which was most definitely influenced by Chinese culture including swear words.
Really, let met get this straight, people are upset that a movie, probably running less than two hours total, will not prominently feature Asians…but did NOT get upset that a children’s TV show that began in 2005 and has aired 60 episodes, repeatedly, of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” did not have any Asian children in the vocal cast.
Please, your faux outrage is over the top.
If you are really upset, try contacting Nickelodeon about its constant, repetitive airing of the animated “Avatar: The Last Airbender” TV show.
You’re upset over a two hour movie, that isn’t even completed, versus over 30 hours of a TV show, that any and all children can watch repeatedly on cable TV, every single day.
Try setting your DVR/TIVO for “Avatar” and see how many hours it will be recorded, in a single week.
Sorry WayBeyondSoccerMombut I don’t know what show you were watching but the characters in Avatar are Asian and drawn Asian. Even the Water Tribe resemble Eskimos (Indians are descendants of Asian tribes). I think the point everyone is making is that this show is Asian in style and influence and it would have been good if the movie reflected that (and it does have that white actors playing Geronimo look so far).
Just a heads up: Eskimos aren’t Indians. Second heads up: American Indians aren’t Asian. Third: Caucasian, Asian and Amerindian may have stemmed from the same root giving no one group some sort of superior order over the other.