Movie Make-out

This really does break my heart because the show is quite amazing. I'm not sure how a single film could display the characterization, action sequences, or layered storytelling I associate with Avatar. I have very little hope for this live-action adaptation (biggest mistake right there), especially one directed by Manny Shyamalan.

I think that even without the knowledge or being a fan of the Avatar series, this casting decision was insulting and offensive. This isn't a simple matter of nerd rage--we're not exactly balking that so-and-so isn't hot or tall or whatever to play such-and-such a character. This is about the politics of race in the most -pointedly- un-white canon ever.

The complaint is that if ANY set of fictional cultures/people/locales was ever non-Caucasian by any denomination, it was the cultures/characters/setting of "Avatar". If ANY show featuring fictional cultures and ethnicities was ever appropriate for live-action depiction with actors of non-Caucasian descent, it was "Avatar". The show established a canon based on an amalgamation of real Asian and Inuit cultures and local costume and written language and art and spirituality on a massive, world-encompassing scale! But these casting decisions say, "Well, we'll take ALL that good stuff, but you know what would make this entirely amalgamated Asian setting better? White people."

And this is not to cast aspersions on the cast being offered the roles--I'm sure they'll do their very best, and I certainly wouldn't have expected them to turn DOWN such strong, character-driven, well-fleshed out, unique roles. But the thing is, how hard is it for pretty white young people to get good roles in Hollywood? And how hard is it for English-speaking Asian actors of /any/ description to get GOOD roles in Hollywood (by which I mean non-ancillary and non-stereotypical)? Now, consider that this was probably the ONE mainstream film where the latter group should, really, have been a shoo-in. I don't think you have to be an Avatard to see why this is offensive to people.

@Vejiicakes: Those are very good, very strong points. Thanks for making them.

I can see why ronin bothers you more. It's based off of real events that are important to a real culture. And to top it all off it's keanu reeves - he's not exactly known for being a great actor. At least these people might be really good actors - for all that hollywood should have taken this chance to cast asian or at least part asian actors, I'm willing to give this cast a shot. Ultimately I hope they can do the story justice.

I'd kept my mouth shut about this when the movie was first announced, because I didn't want to whip out the presumptuous, preemptive snark, but I just KNEW they were going to have a lily-white cast for this thing, even with a South Asian like Shyamalan in the director's chair.

I do think Jackson Rathbone has a good look for Sokka, but would it really have killed them to make ONE of the leads Asian? Aang or Zuko, especially.

I'm really upset about how the movie has been casted. Like others here it's not the actors themselves but the fact that you can clearly see what movie makers expect us americans to just go crazy over. white ppl.i think there should be some consideration of what their show was even based on. not the life of old europe or anything. i expected there to be more actors and actresses that showed the ppl and culture that ive began to notice and take interest in. I'm an african american and i would have really liked there to been someone black or asian or something to portray Katara and Sokka. Not every movie needs a pale skinned lead. or someone who has altered their skin color for the role.im curious to see if they do something like this to the characters. this movie may become not as successful as they think because im pretty sure im not going to really like it. the only thing that may have me watching it is just because it's based on the show i grew to love, avatar. Lol i kno this was targeted for ages 6-11 but hey...felt pretty grown up to me when i watched it. i wish they'd continued with the series but evrything needs an ending. PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME REGRET WATCHING AVATAR LIVE ACTION PEOPLE. if u do imma be irritated that i even took the time to right this....OKAY IM DONE NOW(not really im the kinda person that drags a situation on for a long time i still wanna say more) but...im finished.

OMg!!!!

This is the worst cast ever!!!
I guess the Katara and Sokka character might work, but
JESSE McCARTNEY?!?!?!?!?!
You got to be fricken kidding me!!!
he looks nothing like ZUKO!!!!

I can't wait to see the rest of the cast!
Better yet, i can't wait to see the rest of Zuko's family.

This is just fricken BAD!!!

Perfect example of ""The Possessive Investment in Whiteness" (google it)

copied and pasted from,
http://aang-aint-white.livejournal.com/
Avatar: The Last Airbender featured Asian and Inuit characters in a fantasy setting inspired and informed by a variety of Asian and Inuit cultures. The characters fight with East Asian martial arts, have Asian or Inuit features, dress in Asian or Inuit clothing, 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."

I personally don't care how talented Ringer, McCartney, Peltz, and Rathbone are. I highly doubt that even an acting prodigy could pull off these asian characters no matter how much they paint their faces yellow.

Whether M.Night is a sell out or not, I am positive that the producers, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall are responsible for this whitewashed casting decision. Money and racism was rooted in this decision. The investors in this movie do not want to take a risk and have the hero asian because the majority of the audience can not identify themselves with an asian hero. So it's business as usual.

Someone needs to interview the creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. They spent so much time researching asian culture into the Avatar universe. I bet they are disgusted by this decision. Mako is rolling in his grave right now.

Noah Ringer... I am assuming he is just as white as the rest of the cast.
So not only do they get the ethnicity wrong, they get the martial art wrong.
They broke down the avatar nations to specific styles of Kung-Fu,
Tai Chi = Waterbending
Hung Gar = Earthbending
Northern Shaolin = Firebending
Ba Gua = Airbending
Karate is a Japanese martial art. The only Japanese martial art expressed in the Avatar Universe was Aikido by the Kyoshi Warriors.

Good job hollywood, what a way to kill a franchise.
I am still going to take my kids to watch this film to show them that racism still exists. But, I am going to pay for another movie and walk into The Last Airbender.

I will end this rant with a quote from Ursula LeGuin,
"I think it is possible that a good many readers never even notice what color the people in the story are. Don't notice, maybe don't care. Whites of course have the privilege of not caring, of being 'colorblind.' Nobody else does."

Well now...this is certainly shaping up to be the next Dragon Ball movie isn't it? Just need to put the setting at a high school and jam Chow Yung Fat in there somewhere and we'll be all set.

Don't encourage them, Anthony.

I don't mean to be or sound racist at all in anyway what so ever, but turning animes (or anime styled shows) into american live action movies just ruins it. Why do some people cast crap people or people who can't even fit the role! M.Night, you definetly destroyed a show with lots of heart and other great stuff in it. Would it kill you to have some colored people (yeah, I'm coloured too) in the cast. Also, casting McCartney will really eff up the movie. It's just one of those horrible decisions that speak for itself. I would rather watch some crap-arse dub of a way better version of this movie THAT HAS ASIANS AND INUITS AND OTHER VARIETY OF PEOPLE IN IT than Shyamalan's movie. Breaks my heart...And also quite racist for discrimination against color. Are the people for the casting color-blind as they watch the Avatar show, or just plain out retarded? Thought they would gain more money with whites? They're actually gonna lose more money that way, and I wouldn't be suprised if the sequel to this film gets shutdown. It would have also been more creative if they did something a little different instead of a plain old retelling of the story. I'm just asking, don't **** up with Toph, Azula, or Iroh! I predict tomatos in Night's future...lots and lots of them headed his direction. I agree wth everyone who is also dissappointed in M. Night's choices. :( (Oh yeah, who else knows local kids/friends who would do much better than these actors?[though I'm sure they wil try their best in acting.])

omg jasper is playing sokka
two of my fabourite characters
played by one ...not to mention absolutly HOT... actor, jackson rathbone.
he is a god actor too
gosh im exited
i had my doubts about the twilight cast but it worked out
i bett this will too .... they can do ALOT with makeup
:D:D:D:D:D:D

i'm caucasian and i'm a bit upset about the casting directors selecting white kids to play asian characters. i don't mind a few here and there, but someone like katara should be played by someone of native-american descent not a girl with not only no asian features but pale skin.
i don't understand directors; they won't get naturally tan people to play an eskimo. seriously how hard is it to find a cute, talented native-american girl or boy? really.
i wonder who'll they'll cast for toph and azula..

I bet ALL of the bad guys will be Asians, though...I must agree with all of the above posters. They have made good, sound arguments, even through their anger. I can add nothing to these comments that are any better. It will be difficult to replicate the Avatar world, with all the leaping and flying. So, most of the movie will be shot in front of a green screen, and most of the action will be virtual...in a virtual world, anybody can do, or be, anything or anyone...so these actors will end up being Asian-looking anyway. Guess it is cheaper to virtually alter an actor, than to go out and hire an authentic one. Hollywood will never change for the better. It will always be driven by cheapness and greed. ATLA provided me and my 11 yr old son a common ground to walk on, to be enthusiastic together, to bond over something meaningful. This casting just reinforces the fact that racism is alive.

Isn't Zuko one of the antagonists of the series (at first)? And wouldn't, presumably, his father — Fire Lord Ozai — be the same race as him? Wouldn't that rule out the possibility of "all" the bad guys being Asians?

I totally agree with the outrage expressed here... for the most part. Yes, Zuko should be Asian. And yes, Katara and Sokka should be Inuit. But have any of you looked at Aang recently?? If not, there's a picture of him with the article. Take a good look. He's the whitest white kid I've seen!!
Just a counterpoint to throw into the mix....

I'm okay with Rathbone as Sokka, I suppose...
maybe he could get a tan?
I just think that maybe moreso native American actors should have been cast as any watertribe characters. For fire nation, I see them as moreso Asian. I'm actually okay with Aang being white, because he's relatively light-skinned as compared to other characters...=/ And if the actor can act, heck, I'm willing to accept him. Earth nation might be white, or at least olive-skinned. These are just my views on it, since it would create a rather diverse cast.

...I can't believe this
Jessie McCartney as Zuko?
Jackson Rathbone as sokka? Jasper is not Sokka!
And why is the person for Katara Blond?
This is horrid!

Jackson Rathbone is not a good Sokka, he was a good Jasper, but not a good Sokka!
and Jessie McCartney as Zuko? That's ridiculous! I have no problem with the person, I have never met him so I can't hate, but NO, not Zuko. Zuko was one of the best characters in the show, an acting prodigy would have to play him to even make it acceptable! And why is Katara blond? That's really just wrong.

THIS WAS AN ASIAN INSPIRED SHOW. HOWEVER, MAYBE THE DIRECTOR IS NOT GOING FOR REALISM. MAYBE HE JUST WANTS TO MAKE COSTUMED SPOOF OF THE LAST AIRBENDER. I MEAN, IF ZUKO IS A WHITE, THEN AS A AFRO AMERICAN WOMEN WHO LOVES THE SHOW, LETS MAKE KATARA OR AZULA AFRICA. LET REALLY SHAKE THINGS UP AND MAKE TOPH HISPANIC. WHY NOT MAKE THE FIRELORD RUSSIAN.
I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS MOVIE. BECAUSE I LIKED THE CHARACTERS AND THE WORLD THAT WAS CREATED. JK ROWLING ASKED THAT THE CAST OF THE HARRY POTTER MOVIES BE ENGILISH, AND I THANK HER FOR THAT. IT BROUGHT A FEELING TO HARRY POTTER THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST IF THE CAST WAS ALL AMERICAN. WHEN I WATCHED THE AVAITAR, I SAW ASIAN, HOW WIERD IS IT GOING TO BE TO NOW SEE, WHITE KIDS, IN COSTUME, PRETENDING TO BE SOMETHING. THE MOVIE WILL BE GOOD, IT HAS TO BE, THE CARTOON WAS GOOD. THE SAD THING IS THE CREATER OF THE SHOW SEEMED TO HAVE A TRUE RESPECT AND LOVE FOR ASIAN CUTURE THEY ADD . I JUST HATE THAT IT MAYBE LOST, IN THE TRANSLATION.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT RACE, IT IS ABOUT BEING TRUE TO CHARACTERS. I LOVE GREAT CHARACTER BE THEY BLACK, WHITE, PURLE, OR GREEN. THESE WERE GREAT CHARATERS WHO HAPPEN TO HAVE BEEN IN MOST PEOPLES EYES ASIAN. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT IF THE PEOPLE WHO CAST THE MOVIE WOULD HAVE HAD THE SAME GREAT VISION

I just want them to be true to what the show brought and be true to the fans who watched the show... how hard is that?

I want the actors to look like the characters as close as possible, to have them pull the avatar audience in to where they can escape to an awesome new universe, just like the Harry Potter series. But, its seems they're messing it up already. It sucks to see one of my favorite shows go downhill already and it hasn't even been on screen yet. They are gonna have a heavy blow below the belt at the box office.

Mike and Bryan! Why aren't you saying anything about this? This is your baby! Your creation! Do something! Your fans are hurting!

This show has many forums, thousands (possibly millions) of fans, recieved many awards for it's originallity/animation and to see it be chewed up and spit out is something to be censored.

Fans everywhere watch, rewind, pause, record, disect, research, ask strong questions at comic cons and even write long essays about how the show might end, who's ship will win, and what will happen in the next episode. Did they really think that this choice of cast would slip by them unnoticed? Ignored? I want to see Asian influence. I want the actors to look like the characters as who they were designed to be! (and the characters of the show where created beautifully!) I want to see Sokka and Katara to be or at least look close to being something of Inuit/Native American.

I want to be pulled into watching something new! Something daring! Don't just pull popular stars out of a hat and shove them on screen! We aren't gonna fall for that. I thought they were making the show into movies because of the high popularity and the love the fans have shown and given it. Why are they disappointing them? Me? We want to watch the movie for what the SHOW was! What the tv series was! Give us back our Avatar!

We want every person and everything the same as in the cartoons. Not blonde...

I'm okay with the Noah kid playing Aang (At least he knows some martial arts) but I am truly insulted by the rest. Did this guy even glimpse at the freaking show?? Why in the heck of it all are they casting Jesse McCartney?! That's just stupid. And when did Sokka and Katara even look remotely white? This is so stupid, if he doesn't change the cast quick then this movie is seriously gonna bomb.

I for one am extremely disapointed with the stupid casting. And i know for one that there are actually asian kids, or even mixed kids who could have been chosen. I could have cast all of the characters from my middle school class and gotten it better than M Night. Stupid .
Aang is actually the one that looks the most "caucasian". He's a monk, and theoretically his ancestors could we water , earth , or fire. People from all over china go to the temples to become monks.
I think the bet bet would have been to cast them all a some sort of caucasian and asian mix. Why not , there are plenty of mixed children and the number is only growing.

I just finished re-watching The Avatar again for the 6th time. I can honestly say: IT NEVER GETS OLD. This series will by far go down as a favorite american classic. I'm actually astounded as to how good it actually was and the depth and intensity that DiMartino, Ehasz and Konietzko put into it. They do get a 2 thumbs up from me; but I am thoroughly upset that they can let such a blatant disrespect for their franchise to be wrought. I certainly understand everyones reasons for being against the movie. I am mad and extremely disgusted myself. We all clearly know that in every one of M. Knight's movies, he has put a "twist" at the end in a bid to make the movie seem better than what it wasn't. I'll be damned if he puts a twist in The Avatar. I'm pretty sure he will and I will most definitely get my money back from the box office. I mean, look at the people he casted. I'm not racist or against caucasian actors at all; but to stay true to the integrity of the original, why is there no single splattering of asian or asian descended actors and actresses? It simply boils my blood. It would be nice to see a black actor in this film, but lets be truthful with ourselves-----there was no black person in the series, and as much as we try to justify the reasons why M. Knight used caucasian actors, none of the characters were caucasian. It is true that Sokka, Katara, Suki and Aang do look caucasian, the fact is they are not. Sokka and Katara are Inuit or Native American, Suki is from the Island of Kyoshi, which in my opinion is wholly based off of Japan's Kyushu, which is also an island. It would be safe to presume that Suki is Japanese in essence, and Aang is clearly Chinese or based off the Tibetan monks that reside at Sera or Drepung Monastery. I also have a sinking feeling that the major supporting characters like Toph, Uncle, Ty Lee and Mai will be casted and a role reversal will take place, they will be nothing like their original counterparts or they will not be casted at all. This casting, that has probably already been finalized (since production starts next month), is a slap in the face to all Avatar viewers worldwide and the asian culture. Can M. Knight, who is south Indian, really sleep well at night and be okay with the lineup for such a movie? The last 4 of his movies flopped and it seems he is doing nothing to try to break the vicious cycle that he has created. Lets break it down shall we? I think I am fairly more that correct in assuming that M. Knight has watched The Avatar like we all have. He went through the emotions, he sat in waiting as the writer's strike flourished on and he rejoiced just as we all did when The Avatar finally broke through our television screens again. I cannot fathom, for the life of me, why he has the audacity to portray The Avatar with such disrespect? Bringing a cartoon or anime to the Hollywood screen as a live action movie, is hard enough as it is already. Why add insult to injury by flipping the script and incorporating something that was never there? Its like kicking someone who is already down, dead or dying. Like CorpseVendor already stated: Mike and Bryan! Why are you not saying anything about this? Why are you not doing anything to stop this injustice? Your fans are hurting. We are crying. We are upset and we have arrived at a point were we have exhausted all of our efforts to try to do something about this and make our voices heard. We most certainly want our AVATAR BACK!!!! We want you to make us proud again and let justice prevail. We want back what we have cried over, debated each each other against and waited for. We will not be fooled and led astray by this lie of what M. Knight is going to call a film. "Since the beginning of time, darkness thrives in the void; but will always yield to purified light." We want our light back. Please....We just want it back....

Sorry guys. I know that the quote is a bit off; but I tried to remember it strictly from memory. I think I did a pretty good job though....

I think there should be a law that says Hollywood should stay away from anime. They always whitewash the main lead, if not the WHOLE cast, just for the sake of American television. Seriously, they're not interested in preserving any sense of culture, if anyone were to really think about it. Well, more like, "I'm okay with the whole non-American scene...as long as the main's a caucasian." I mean, look at Forbidden Kingdom! And Dragonball! They cast a chinese girl as Android 18, when obviously a causasian woman would be more suitable (I mean, COME ON! Blue eyes, blonde hair? Is that so hard?); and Goku with a dark-haired non-asian guy. What's up with that?!

Avatar is probably just an opportunity for them to have an all-out martial art action film with white people doing fancy - though probably not accurate - kung fu. I doubt that they'll get Noah Ringer to even learn the basics of Ba Gua, so he can ACTUALLY pass it off. Even in an asian martial art film like "Ip man", a veteran martial artist like Donnie Yen, had to learn Wing Chun first before playing his part as Ip Man - a GRANDMASTER in the art. It's not, "Ah, he knows martial art for decades! Who cares if it's not the right one? No one's gonna know." It's just downright disrespectful.

Who seriously thinks Hollywood will bother with that? Seriously?

Martial art is martial art is martial art.

THAT'S probably what they think.

First off, I agree with the points made by all the above, about racially motivated casting. It's a sad truth that many producers,investors, directors and the rest of the Hollywood ilk believes that white people can sell anything. In Japan, the basic Anime has a 'white-washed look to their characters, due to the fact that the Japanese believed that Asian=looking cartoons would only sell in their own homeland. In order to gain universal appeal, they leaned more so to European features, allowing them to distribute to their discriminating world audience.
Some believe that Disney played a big influence on the large eyes...but the point being is that the main people in their stories were Asian, but with a little ambiguity and 'tip-o-the-hat' to Europe, mainly to Germany.
Now, Hollywood is guilty of two major things: first, they don't believe that non-white actors can sustain a movie, series or show. They think that everyone will be offended or threatened by a strong ethnic lead, be it male or female. Second: they also don't think that there is an 'ethnic audience' or enough of us to make a financial dent to justify an Ethnic cast. If you look on the UPN or similar networks, the shows with a Black or Hispanic or even those rare Asian shows, there always has to be a tolken 'white person' to even things out or bring in the white viewers. I can cite many shows and movies that were accused of being 'too black' or 'too ethnic for a white audience.'
On the general whole, we don't count, unless we are just 'comedy relief'.
As far as the creators of Avatar are concerned, Nickelodeon owns Aang and crew, and they are not well known for contractual fairness. Just ask Johnen Vasquez about 'Invader Zim' to know what I'm talking about. If you think about it, It could be the 'powers that be Nickelodeon' who had the final say of a predominately white cast, after all, Native American (which I am also partly)Asian and Hispanic audiences don't exist, according to the rumors. Personally, I want a good movie. If whites can come across and make me believe that they are who they are supposed to be, then I'll be a happy camper. Besides, they can do amazing things with make-up and CGI, look at Joel Grey in the movie Remo Williams: the adventure begins, which could either make or break my point...you decide.

Did anyone notice that Jesse McCartney had to back out? Dev Patel is now playing Zuko. This doesn't seem to be a bad casting from my view, because at least he's not white. And the girl cast for Suki seems to look pretty good for the role. Otherwise, I agree, the casting sucks.

I am a 27 yr old woman who watches Avatar. i got hook from my best friends son n husband. i am also afro american. the casting for the movie is beyond ridiculus. i am SOOOOO upset that my man sokka is not going to be portrayed as the sokka i've been watching. just by hearing and seeing the cast memebers is making me wonder if the humor that the cartoon brings is gonna be there? the movie show be in the origanal format cartoon or at least something like Shreks animation. but over all they made a VERY BAD DECISION and i hope they fix it before its too late

Even though this is late...I have one thing to say.

This might be next year's

DRAGON

BALL

EVOLUTION

Godforbid.

Ok just thought I would have to throw my opinion in on this, because it is really bugging me now.

I dont get why you fans are complaining about the Avatar cast, sure SOME of the are white, and the others are not, yes the show was based alot in asian CULTURE, but you have to take your head out of the ground and think about this little nigget of info you people forget...M.Night isnt the only person on this project, the creators of the show are on bored with it as well, they helped choose the cast, I dont think its right to place all of this on M.Night.

Also as a little side note, I dont get why you people must bash M.Night for his movies, I personally liked most of them (the village sucked I admit it), you guys got no right to talk about what movies are good and what are not, when crap like Highschool Musical and Twilight are "smash hits"...also if M.Nights movies truly sucked I dont get why he is able to keep making more.

F them all