The Film Wiz

One of my hommies from twitter hit me up and told me to go to Racebending.com. The website points out how the lead cast for M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming film The Last Airbender are all white with the exception of Zuko, the villain, who will be played by an Asian actor…

Check out the article:

The Nickelodeon show “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” on which this film is based, featured Asian characters in a fantasy setting inspired and informed by a variety of Asian cultures. The characters fight with East Asian martial arts, have Asian features, dress in clothing from Asian cultures, and write with Chinese characters. The cast and setting were a refreshing departure from predominantly white American media, and were a large part of the show’s appeal as well as an inspiration to many Asian American children.
Characters from the animated series. Katara and Sokka from the peacful and oppressed Water Tribe; Zuko from the tyrannical and genocidal Fire Nation.
Most recent casting for the movie. Nicola Peltz as Katara, Jackson Rathbone as Sokka, Dev Patel as Zuko (originally cast as Jesse McCartney, a blond, blue-eyed popstar).

I’m not sure this will have a huge effect on the outcome at the box office…But its still messed up how Hollywood tries to change key elements of a story line….To be honest I really can’t see any of the cast doing martial arts in any form or fashion…I’m willing to bet that the ethnic difference will take away from the feel of the plot…It’ll probably end up being nothing like the show just like the rest of the TV show based movies…

M. Night Shyamalan’s most recent project has on the storyline of Nick’s Avatar the Last Airbender has been reported filming scenes for the movie in a some befitting place around the globe. Check out the new pics from the set.

First up…The pics from Pagoda, located on top of the Penn Mountains

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Wow…I can’t believe it….After the heartache of having to know that the popular Nickelodeon series , Avatar the Last Airbender, was coming to an end. I sure thought that seeing how the entire plot was based around the fight between the Avatar and the Fire nation, after the final battle where Aang defeated the Fire Lord I just knew that without a doubt that this would be another show that disappeared off the face of the earth, never to see production again. Just when my memories of the show started to fade off toward the back of my mind, I hear that they are making a live action movie based on the Avatar series.

M. Night Shyamalan has been deemed the director, with his somewhat majestic and mysterious style, he was the perfect choice.  There is something about the entire Avatar theme that seems almost similar to him. Now i will admit he can go a bit overboard in films and they can begin to t get a little weird but the cinematography and production skills are quite extraordinary. Which is exactly what this film needs to have.

Being the huge Avatar fan that I am, I’ll be will most certainly have high expectation about for this film, cast and all. Though they have a couple of unknowns carrying major roles in the movie, they have also brought aboard some experience to even thing out a bit.

Starring in the film:

Jack Rathbone (Twilight) is set to play Sokka

A 15-year-old warrior of the Southern Water Tribe. With his sister Katara, he accompanies Aang on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord.  Unlike his companions, Sokka cannot bend an element, but the series frequently grants him opportunities to use his ingenuity and weapons, including his trusty boomerang and a sword he forged from a meteorite.

Nicola Peltz (extras and t.v.  shows) is set to play Katara

A 14-year-old female Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara discovers and frees Aang from an iceberg in which he had been trapped for one hundred years. With her 15 year old brother Sokka, she accompanies Aang on his quest to defeat the Fire Lord, and bring peace to the world.

Noah Ringer (1st film)  is set to play Aang

A fun-loving, 112-year-old protagonist, who is biologically 12 years old but was frozen in an iceberg for 100 years. He is the current incarnation of the Avatar, the spirit of the planet in human form. Aang is a reluctant hero, who would prefer adventure over his job as the Avatar and making friends over fighting the Fire Nation.

Dev Patel ( Slumdog Millionaire)  is set to play Zuko

The 16-year-old exiled prince of the Fire Nation and original antagonist of the series. Due to events in Zuko’s past, his father, Fire Lord Ozai, deems him a complete failure, and Zuko feels he must capture the Avatar to regain his honor.

Titled The Last Airbender, we can expect to see this film hit theaters July2, 2010. As the movie advances into production expect to hear more details. But in the mean time enjoy this fan made trailer.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c8-R0mfzUM&feature=related]

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