Brand New The Last Airbender Images!

This cast is a mess. Aang and Zuko are supposed to be pale East-Asians. Sokka and Katara are supposed to be dark-skinned Inuits/Native Americans. They should match the real-world cultures that their different peoples in the Avatar world are based on.

It seems like no one is happy unless the live action version is exactly like the animated series. I for one plan to withhold judgment until I see the completed film, trusting in the director's talent and vision to produce something that may not be identical to the original, but retain elements that will enchant us as the original series did.

Do you really want and exact adaptation of a tv series into film? Lets be realistic not everybody is Asian. And for the fire nation being indian…..well M. Night has to work himself into the film some way.

This is not asking for *exactness.* What the filmmakers did here was akin to waking up and deciding the entire Fantastic Four should now be Cantonese. So again, WTF?

First Dragonball Z then this? Wtf. I guess asians just aren't cool enough.

Odegaard , I thought like you for The Golden Compass and Eragon and they failed us. This movie seems on the exact same track. You can only withhold judgment so long before you realize that some people just don't care about the original material. The casting is a disaster. This means the movie will be a disaster. If I can't see the screen and believe in these characters, the entire thing falls apart. I doubt this will be a full trilogy, because the dissapointment will be so severe a sequel will never get made. Just like the Golden Compass and Eragon. Count on it.

feh, That’s sad. I rather liked The Golden Compass and Eragon. Of course, I never read the books, so I had no expectations. I think saying that those making the movie “just don’t care” is harsh. They are trying to make the best movie they can. And the director has his own “vision” to add, with which people may or may not agree. It seems, based on what you are saying, that in the future no one will make movies of popular books, series, etc, because of the expectation of the fan base of said books, series, etc. So sad. Why does “different” have to be “wrong.” It not YOUR Airbender, after all.

i tink that the matche for sokka is good since him and jackson rathbone hav the same sort of face structure. they could have found someone better for anng and katara if they looked hard enuf, but zuko is a dissapointment he was supposed to be the super hottie of the whole thing but they got dev patel who doesnt even look like him they shhud hav gotten noah hunt to play zuko.

the casting really is upsetting. i know not everyone is asian, but look at it his way: how would people feel if they casted fat albert as jonah hill?

I agree, the casting in this is horrible, it’s an abomination. I don’t think its terrible to want exact replication of a cartoon, especially when the cartoon is a reflection of the real world. In the cartoon their are people that represent different cultures, like a previous person said. In the real world, those cultures still exist, so why not cast people who represent that culture? I mean, come on Dev Patel as Zukko ? The cartoon is based off of Asian influences, and those that are indian influences were represented by indian persons in the cartoon, why not apply that to the movie? I love the series and probably wont watch this movie. It already seems like another DBZ.

In my opinion this movie looks like it will be amazing and interesting to watch. I know that the creators of the show had a huge part in finding the cast that have the talent and availability for this movie adaption.To those that are upset with the choices being made remember the extensive work and screening that the director,producer and THE REST OF THE FILM CREW go through just to bring an amazing story to life. Many races of people will be in this film and the story of Aang in many ways reflect the reality of our own world where people are so divided by differences. The core of the story is about a boy with great mystical powers gradually evolving those powers to keep the four nations at peace.In this real world we may never have absolute peace but in this movie which is a fantasy world it will be so fun and cool to take a break from it all. At Airya and Matt_m,this movie is in no way comparable to that Dragonball movie trust me.

I wonder if they could at least get the color of the coats right, like each color represents its country. Couldn’t they find blue coats? That’s the only thing I ask…

At least they should get the color of the skin right, Zuko is light skin while the water tribe is tan looking.

Considering that the filming of this movie has already ended and that it’s undergoing post production, I think that M. Night along with Avatar co-creators will agree upon what is best. Chances are that in the video editing, many things mentioned here would be addressed, and if not, it was with the proper consentment of all parties involved. If it went out like this, then it was greenlit not only by M. Night, but by Michael and Bryan. If it’s good for them being the creators of the universe, it should be good for us that support them and their creation. Just my 2 cents.

As I’ve read all these comments, I’ve noticed that the main concern is the cast and I definitely feel the same way. I tend to be more so one of those people who like to see movies that are based off a tv-series or book and see that the movie follows through to the best of its nature. In terms of casting, I am extremely disappointed. This should have been a predominately Asian cast and it makes me wonder: What is the matter with having such a cast? I saw that a few people had mentioned that the creators had to have a hand in this movie, and of course they did, but I don’t see the influence that much. M Night Shyamalan and the producer have more say than most people think than the creators of the television series. I’m saddened to see that his said vision has, in my opinion, tarnished such recognizable characters that people have grown to admire and love. Even though there is nothing that obviously can be done considering the stage that it is in I can more than likely see this movie being pelted by critics in a less than favorable manner. Unless the story does truly sweep the audience away, and our focus moves from how the characters look to what the tale is all about which is that of the travels of Aang, Katara and Sokka, then who knows? Possibly the trilogy will continue. I still just wish they had been more sensitive about the looks of the characters, and pray that they GENERALLY keep to the storyline. I am aware that Shyamalan plans on playing around with the plot to not make it so utterly identical to the series.

Must they ALWAYS make the main character a white person? Same thing with the Dragonball movie… Goku was a freakin’ WHITE boy. And then they’re making a Prince of Persia movie (based on the game) and they’re making the prince Caucasian. I’m not racist, bust the whole casting is very upsetting to me. I wish they could have looked harder.

And Zuko was supposed to be hot.

hollywood is very biased.

Usually I would say the casting is fine as far as the whole “race” business goes, however considering the rather obvious real world counterparts to each nation, I think the film may end up feeling like it’s missing something. Just in case you aren’t aware of what I’m thinking, here’s my race theory:

The Fire Nation clearly represents China. It’s in love with the color red, everyone’s afraid of it, and it’s a powerful nation that invaded a land full of peace loving monks [Air Nomads].

The Air Nomads would be the Tibetan monks. Fire Nation [Chinese] invasion, monks, etc.

Water Tribes are clearly Inuit. Duh. I’m not going into detail for this one.

I’m guessing Earth Kingdom represents the US and Europe. It’s just a massive land with a huge mish-mash of races and cultures and a clearly defined social hierarchy.

So yeah, without those parallels, I don’t think the social statements will really come through. Then again, it’s a franchise meant for children, so maybe no one will notice…

Thoughts?

i agree noah hunt should have played zuko i think Mr. night S ( director ) casted indian actors because he is indian which sucks because this movie “HAD” the ability to be epic until paramount and nikelodeon picked mr. night S to direct and produce. Peter jackson should have been chosen to do that i mean look what he did with KING KONG … well we will just have to wait and see btw megan fox is hotttt

I am 36 with no children and my wife and I have fallen in love with this series. As I assume many of you are younger viewers I was hoping to be the “adult fan” voice of reason. However, I like many of you have been taken back by the casting of this film. First, I will address Aang. For the most part, I think Noah Ringer looks spot on to Aang in the animated series and have no issues with this casting choice. Let’s just hope that he has some real acting talent and we’re not left to rely on his martial arts training to pull him through the movie. As for Sokka & Katara, I also feel that there was a missed opportunity for the director to identify unknown talent of Inuit/eskimo descent to be debuted in the upcoming movie. Finally, on Zuko I have 2 schools of thought. First, I agree with the masses that the Fire Nation represented a predominantly Chinese race of people and the casting of such an important character and nation should have reflected more from the animated series. HOWEVER, if Night S. was going to exercise his creative liberties by casting a south asian (Indian) actor in the role of Zuko, then for Pete’s sake can he at least show some consistency by casting additional south asians for the entire Fire Nation cast? I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but am (like most of you) initially disappointed with some of these choices. And I agree with Lman007, Peter Jackson has proven that he’s not just a “one trick pony” and would have been a great choice to direct this trilogy.

avatar is so cool, but casting here is really bad, i myself is disappointed so much, i hope next time follow the cultural race where the characters came from.

OMG!!!!!!!! They messed up on casting BIG TIME!!!! Jackson Rathbone is ok, but Aang looks chubby(at least to me:D), Katara’s hair loops are almost GONE plus her mom’s necklace is totally out of view and Dev Patel as Zuko is disgraceful:(…………..but I’m still going to see the movie:D

YOu know what? A lot of you sound like how the bloggers reacted to Hugh Jackman playing wolverine in the first X-Man movie. YOu know what- because of his STRONG performance as Logan, can you see anybody else stepping in to play him? NO. So shut your pie holes and wait till the movie comes out. I’m sure the casted not by looks alone. They have to be able to do something besides stand and look pretty. Noah Ringer is i believe actually 12 (the same age he is in the series except chronologically aang is 112)-the boy is a martial artist- he’s doing his stunts-no one has to stand in for him. I know an asian actor could’ve done the same but I like the fact he’s unknown. Let’s just wait till the movie comes out. You people get your panties in a bunch too much sometimes.
Sheesh.

lol, all im gonna say is; they better smile a bit more than they do in the photos. therye not ment to look that grumpy for ages!
itll be intresting to see how jackson rathbone performes, having only seen him in the twilight siries.. again , in the photo he IS pulling a bit of a ‘Jasper’ face. hahah.
is it just me, or does noah look slightly tubby in the photo? like his chest is puffed out? not a good look. curiuos to see his acting.
anyone know of a rough date for this film? and have the really finished filming? that sounds unlikly to me.
anyway, ye, ‘intresting’ will be the word to describe this film.

i dont like the cast that much.what happend to aangs arrow and what happened to zukos scar its like not even there.this movie better be good or im going to be very mad.

They could have done better

has anyone bothered to do research on this film? i doubt it. if anyone bothered to pay attention then you would know that the creators of avatar are working with the directors of this with full power from nickelodeon themselves of veto of ideas. so if the actors picked for the roles are not up to your liking, blame the creators of the show, not M. Night. as for not choosing Asians, ITS AN AMERICAN SHOW, CREATED BY AMERICANS, while yes it is INFLUENCED by anime, its is a fully made in the usa show. so in total, if the movie sucks, its not because of just the director, but the creators.

ppl have there own opnions and such, thats jus how the world is,but seriously tho, ppl that want every little thing to b perfect in the movie jus so that they can see the serious in real life. thats jus a waste of money. that jus wants everything in the movie jus like the main series, jus dont buy the ticket and instead use the money on the Avatar: TLA dvd and forget about the movie. but if u really lik avatar alot then watch it for your interest dnt care about wat other ppl say its wat u want.

Really? people are actually naive to think this will turn out like dragonball? This movie has way better talent (regardless of race) and a better budget not to mention a pretty good production crew. Seriously, they are going to get mad about the race of cast members in a movie that’s based on a cartoon created by two white Americans, who got the concept of “avatar” which is from Hinduism, and is produced in Korea by mostly Korean artists as well as a martial arts consultant who is God knows what(not Asian) and whose main character looks more white than any other character. Not to mention a voice cast predominantly of white people and a couple of Asians. The story us about obtaining peace, race should be the last thing on peoples minds. Saying that they should only be Asian or more specifically Chinese. is like saying black people should be the only ones
playing jazz or rapping.

Everyone criticizing fans for being upset have no clue about the series, probably have not seen all of it or are just plain stupid. I, like millions of others have fallen in love with the story, characters and universe that Mike and Bryan created. As for those who believe they had major control over the casting or creative choices, they did not.. it was very limited. I believe given how much care they put into the original series, they would not have allowed the casting choices if they had that much control. On the other hand, M. Night negotiated for complete creative control over the script. He has publicly said he is “grounding” Sokka (making him less funny) and will surely add his signature dreadful death and darkness gloom to the story. I feel badly for Mike and Bryan for this but that’s what happens when corporate interests are involved. Make no mistake .. this interference is all about box office sales and M. Night’s ego. Such a shame because this story is truly epic, heartwarming, spiritual and inspiring and could have surpassed Star Wars if it were done faithfully.

The majority of the audience for this film will be fans of the TV series, and almost everyone I know who watches it is disappointed by the casting, and some are afraid that if they watch the movie, it will ruin the TV show for them.
I know race issues are a delicate topic, but the casting really is all wrong, and for a story with such blatant north-east asian influences, the race of the characters will create something of a cultural clash.
The culture of each nation is based on a corresponding nation in the real world, as someone already stated; Europe and Western culture for the Earth Kingdom, China as the Fire Nation, Tibet for the Air Nomads (or maybe just Buddhist ideals, in which case an Indian Aang would be passable) and the Native Americans/Inuit people for the Water tribes (though the Southern Tribe have been relocated to Antarctica/Australia, and in part reflect traditional Indigenous Australian culture, such as Sokka’s boomerang).
The parallels between the world of Avatar and our world are sundered apart through this movie’s casting, and I have a feeling the movie will just be ‘not quite right’.
Sorry for wall of text

I’m asian, and really sort of disappointed with casting. But I guess what they want to happen is somethin’ really bigger than that. Still hopin’ for the best though, I’m gonna watch this. I’m a huge fan!

If they’re gonna whitewash the characters, why not just get the original voice actors? That way we will all hear the voice we all love to laugh at- Sokka’s. Lol. And everybody else’s voice is awesome as well.
Not that I support whitewashing the characters… I personally felt obligated to sink my fist into something hard when I heard about that.

I think that they could have changed the cast but it is hard to find good actors Dev Pattel is a great actor idk if he is right for Zuko but I trust M Night and the creators in making good descosions im going to see the movie and i hope that all the fans of the series will see it to not wanting to see it just all the actors arnt asain is just stupid i mean Eddie Murphey is susposed to play the riddler in the next Derk knight and the origional riddler was white but i dont care that eddie murphey is black he is one of my fav actors so im just sayin you shouldn’t not see a movie just cuz u dont like the cast and i personally hope and think everybody will do a great job in the movie i just cant wait to see toph in the next movie.

“I think that they could have changed the cast but it is hard to find good actors Dev Pattel is a great actor idk if he is right for Zuko but I trust M Night and the creators in making good descosions im going to see the movie and i hope that all the fans of the series will see it to not wanting to see it just all the actors arnt asain is just stupid i mean Eddie Murphey is susposed to play the riddler in the next Derk knight and the origional riddler was white but i dont care that eddie murphey is black he is one of my fav actors so im just sayin you shouldn’t not see a movie just cuz u dont like the cast and i personally hope and think everybody will do a great job in the movie i just cant wait to see toph in the next movie.”
Exactly

Maybe before I saw these pics I would have paid the $3 to rent the movie four months after its release… but not anymore.

Prince Zuko was SUPPOSE to be HOT! wtf m.night shimladick! YOU SUCK! EVERYTHING about this movie seems HEINOUS! M.nighshimladick is just going to completely turn one of the BEST stories and shows of all time to CRAP!!!!

I’m less concerned with race and more with the martial arts.

Each tribe has a VERY distinct form of martial arts representing the elements. If that aspect is messed up I will be disappointed.