I can't believe this guy is still making movies.

With a TWIST!

Hey, as long as Ewe Boll is allowed to make movies I'm not surprised about anyone else.

uuuh, yikes.

I really liked Signs and The Village, honestly thought they showed tremendous skill. But he's just lost his way, he needs someone else to write his scripts.

I watched the series and Ang looked white. Zuko did look asian but aren't indians technically asian? I also think the Water tribes were supposed to be Inuit. I dare any one to find a Inuit of the right age that could act well enough to perform in this film. Its not a cartoon. it can't be perfect. I'm pretty sure all the voice actors weren't the exact race the portrayed in the series.

Hey Macbeth:

"I dare any one to find a Inuit of the right age that could act well enough to perform in this film"

I think that's what they we're saying about African Americans about a century ago. Clearly you still live in that era. Keep up the racism. It does you proud.

Not exactly my picks for the roles but I loved the animated series and can't wait to see it on the big screen!

Yeah um Patel is an Indian name and India is part of Asia, soooo he is an Asian cast in an Asian part. He got something right.

I am sure MacBeth simply was referencing the number of available Inuit actors, not their abilities as a people to act. You show your own intolerance by throwing the term 'racism' out based on a single statement which, I at least in my opinion, you clearly misinterpreted.

"I'm sorry Ms. Lemon, but you've forced me to play the race card"

It isn't just a matter of casting an Asian guy to play an Asian part. The characters represented specific cultures that have gotten little dedicated attention in western media, and part of what made this show remarkable was that it featured these cultures and people so prominently.

You can't just switch out one part of Asia for another like that. It's like saying Russia and Italy are interchangeable. Similarly, the cultures of India (Patel's heritage) and China (the influence for Zuko and the Fire Nation) are very distinct.

And while Aang, Sokka, and Katara's voice actors weren't Asian (they were all involved in other Nickelodeon shows, I think), Zuko and Iroh's VAs were Filipino and Japanese, and the show featured a lot of prominent Asian-American guest actors. The show's creators strove to be as authentic to these cultures they were drawing from as possible.

Not to mention, the good guys were cast with white actors. The Fire Nation characters have been cast with Middle Eastern and South Asian actors. Sure, it's just a movie, but give me a break. People from that part of the world have it hard enough already, trying to fight these stereotypes post-9/11...having them be perpetuated in a big-screen flick with so much attention really doesn't help things. Actors and casting directors from this film have already been quoted saying things that totally reveal their ignorance of how important these cultures are to this story.

Tired of the Card:

You have some special insight on how Macbeth thinks?

All I can say is that the comment implies that there are few Inuit actors ( perhaps ) and of those, even fewer can act well. Unless Macbeth is somehow familiar with Inuit communities ( in which case I retract my statement ), explain to me how this isn't an off-the-cuff prejudicial comment about their culture.

fernando, I meant exactly what Tired of the Card said. I have two nieces and two nephews that are inuit. But I don't think they could act their way out of a box. Its not part of their culture up there.
And yeah again Tired of the Card is correct in you sounding racist by immediately assuming I'm being racist for a statement that wasn't remotely racist.

@fernando poo

I don't think MacBeth was trying to be racist, or implying that Inuit couldn't be actors. I think he just meant that there are very few Inuit and even fewer take up acting in their teens. And that it would be very hard to find someone of the appropriate age, gender, build and look. With enough acting training to be part of this sort of production.

To all the muppets claiming this film has racist casting; I'd just say take a look at M.Night. Not white right? End of. Mind you the film looks pants and all movies with kids as the main characters are tripe. Put keep getting your panties in a bunch fanboys.

To all the muppets claiming this film has racist casting; I'd just say take a look at M.Night. Not white right? End of. Mind you the film looks pants and all movies with kids as the main characters are tripe. But keep getting your panties in a bunch fanboys.

Macbeth,

I'm not racist.

I'm intolerant.

Simple: If you loke a movie or TV show Watch it, if you don't like don't watch it simple.

Sylver: are you seriously implying that non-white people can't be racist? Wow.

(If it matters, I'm South Asian myself, from the same region as Shyamalan. The color of his skin does not excuse these decisions he's either made or allowed to be made on his watch.)

The casting director is white, if it makes a difference, and has made some pretty racially ignorant statements with regards to casting calls and the types of people they were looking for.

Will the twist this time be that we won't feel like we waisted our time watching this movie? Now THAT would be a twist.

Sylver, pants is bad, right?

The animated show was set in an alternate world, it had nothing to do with all of the races and ethnic groups we are familiar with in real life. They may have been similar in some ways, but there is no reason to assume a person animated to look Asian was in fact of Asian origin. Wait and judge the film on its own merits, don't pre-judge it based on faulty perceptions.

Faulty perceptions? Would your argue that it's a faulty perception that all of Shayamalan's previous films are terrible? This whole production, from the director to the races of the actors, is a joke. The movie's gonna suck and I'll be passing.

And btw: the reason the races depicted in the show were similar to those of our world were because the races were inspired by the real ethnic groups they share similarities with. I'm pretty sure that DOES mean there is some connection between the two.

The problem with the casting isn't race, it is that the kid looks chubby and goofy in that picture. They needed someone with less baby fat on their face.

closer photo of zuko is up now.

http://lastairbenderfilm.com/2009/05/23/a-closer-look-at-the-scarred-prince/

I'm white, and I'm not racist.

Everyones racist to some extent. However, I do not see what that has to do with this movie. Ecgordon was correct! This is a made up fictional world. Any connections you make, racist or not, come from your own reality. Therefor,everyones will be somewhat different. We see what we want to see, usually negative. Why not look at the "good" aspects of the cartoon/movie.

Everyones racist to some extent. However, I do not see what that has to do with this movie. Ecgordon was correct! This is a made up fictional world. Any connections you make, racist or not, come from your own prejudices. We see what we want to see, usually negative (in this point, racism).

for those who said that is no big deal, read this comment that I posted before
By FantasyFan at 1:25 PM ON 01/20/09

I’m not a hardcore fan of avatar but I watched from time to time and like it, in order to tell a story base of a comic book, TV show, book Etc. You have to be the most close to the original material as you can get, if not the story lose its appeal
Watch closely and you see that in avatar the different countries are base in the next cultures
The 4 Mains Factions:
Airs Nomads: Tibetan & Shaolin monks
Water Tribes: Inuit
Earth Kingdom: Korean
Fire Nation: Japanese & Chínese
Also:
Kioshi Island : Japanese
The spirit Library: is a pyramid
If you watch You see there is not any influence of Anglo-Saxon culture in avatar, but You can say that the characters are white because you see them with light skin , there are asian people with light skin, but everything is happening in an Asian world, there are no White people and they can be White as snow everyone even aang but they still are Asian
And those who justify this kind of casting saying that there aren’t talented Asia actors you are wrong they are but most of the Hollywood cinema only sees not Anglo-American actors as villains, minions or sidekicks. And let’s make example let’s put Denzel Washington (In my opinion one of the best actors of this generation) as a Samurai in feudal Japan. Also let’s do World War II movie and the Japanese part will be play by African American, Latin or better yet Anglo Saxon actors just because there are not talented Asia actors it’s just plain stupid . if you still don’t believe it listen to this in 1956 Jonh Wayne stars in the film The Conqueror base on the life of mongol leader genghis khan , and what about Will Smith in Wild Wild West
And those who say that the voice actor are white, that just saying stupid things, you are a voice actor that is lending your voices to a characters that doesn’t have anything in common with you, for example if you remember (anime Film )Ninja Scroll from director Yoshiaki Kawajiri the main character is Japanese, the voice in the dubbed version is a white actor , also black and white characters in Japanese anime are voices by Japanese seiyu (seiyu is the equivalent of voice actor in japan), but with a live action film the rules of the game change completely .
To quote Fez (from that’s 70 show )So you are telling that in country with a population over 200 millions habitants there are not talented Asian actors, boy I don’t believe you
Frankly I like the series it was good and have a regular ending, the creators did their homework very well whoever see this series won’t believe is a North American TV show but it is, but I don’t see the need to make a movie the way I see it, is just to continue make money from this franchise

But here is the kicker if you don’t like it just don’t buy a ticket to see it tell your friends to no see it, don’t buy the merchandise, I know I wont
I apologized if I offended anybody with my opinion but is the truth and sometimes the truth hurt, another thing forgive my English if there are mistake, English is no my first language

This is what I meant about all the same actors being in the movies.Mediocre white actors getting good roles and minorites getting typecast as either the villain or victim until the "white " knight rides in to save the day.

Once it is a good movie to honour a phenomenal series I'm good. Not getting caught up in the race thing.

and maybe Shayamalan's twist in this movie will be - NO TWIST. Oh wait, was that a spoiler?

As far as racism goes: It's a movie. They are going to cast someone they think is marketable, whatever race they are. It's make-believe, people. Don't take it so seriously. Besides, as long as there is affirmative action, there will be racism; since it mandates racism into all our lives. As far as M Night goes: Why is this guy still making movies? His first was the only good one. Signs, which most people love, I thought was the silliest. Why would aliens try to take over a planet with so much water if water killed them so easily? Dumb. Anyway, those are my thoughts.

this comment is to those people saying is no big deal , Fact is a movie , Fact is no real , but not everyone is a idiot , I and like most people like to go to the movies, watch TV etc . ... so this action is a insult to my intellegence and everyone else times like this I remenber a phrase told by judy sheindlin dont pee on my leg and tell me its raining,..... but like I said before if you don like it dont see it period nobody is forcing you.......... but that is the truth and nobody cant deny it

Without a doubt, this film is an example of racist casting...

The series revolves around martial arts (a characteristically ORIENTAL asian history & origination)...

None of the leads casted are asian (Oh, that's right, indians are asians, oh please)...There is a significant difference between the asian cultures represented in the series and little mr. slumdog millionaire...Ugh...This film should be boycotted...

Its David Carradine in Kung Fu, or Yul Brynner in The King and I all over again...

Shame on M Night Shyamalan for completely misrepresenting & distorting the integrity of this wonderfully conceived series...