M. Night Shyamalan to direct live-action 'The Last Airbender'

[Channy]

I dunno the whole white thing I just don't buy it. M. Night isn't white, and he's directing the movie, and he knows the anime inside and out from watching it with his kids... you'd think he'd rly be into it.

Zuko was gonna be white at first They had Jesse McCartney set up to play Zuko but when his touring dates were conflicting with training, he opted out.

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

That doesn't explain the villain. They seemed to find plenty of good white actors for the heroes, why not the villain? Are there only 3 good white child actors?

All evil people are Asians, don't you know? Originally, wasn't he going to be Jesse McCartney or some shit?

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Zuko is being played by the indian who did slumdog millionaire aint he?
says it all for the film.

Seeing as how the entire cast was supposed to be inuit/asian decent.

 

[Makoeyes987]

I dunno the whole white thing I just don't buy it. M. Night isn't white, and he's directing the movie, and he knows the anime inside and out from watching it with his kids... you'd think he'd rly be into it.

Zuko was gonna be white at first They had Jesse McCartney set up to play Zuko but when his touring dates were conflicting with training, he opted out.

So then explain to me why they made all the main characters save for the villain white? Because clearly it wasn't a dirth of colored child stars who could play the part. What's the reason then?

I doubt it was just M. Night's choice. He's the director. But there's also a casting director who chooses who gets to be part of the cast. So putting the blame squarely on him isn't fair.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Because white kid who knows kung fu is farrrr less racist than japanese kid who knows how to bend air.

 

[ExMachina]

Oh hey, a topic on the fail that will be The Last Airbender.

I love the animated series (see my avatar) to death, but the casting choices (liberal Hollywood yeah right, lolol) and the fact that Shyamalan's directing makes me want beat my head against the wall. So yeah, the live-action movie ain't getting my money.

I find it super ironic that they have Dev Patel as Zuko... because whatever justification they had for a white main cast (surely a movie with minority unknowns can't be popular!) kind of gets destroyed by the existence of Slumdog Millionaire.

Fail media is fail.

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

I doubt it was just M. Night's choice. He's the director. But there's also a casting director who chooses who gets to be part of the cast. So putting the blame squarely on him isn't fair.

Yeah, I can agree with that last part. The fact she has no idea about any society but her own definitely makes me frown.

 

[Max Payne]

I dunno the whole white thing I just don't buy it. M. Night isn't white, and he's directing the movie, and he knows the anime inside and out from watching it with his kids... you'd think he'd rly be into it.

Zuko was gonna be white at first They had Jesse McCartney set up to play Zuko but when his touring dates were conflicting with training, he opted out.

You do realize that casting isn't entirely up to the director right? He's got to please the studio and directors, and all that shit.

Often times a director doesn't get the actors he wants because of a lot of circumstances.

But that by now means, implies that I'm defending the guy.

 

[Channy]

So then explain to me why they made all the main characters save for the villain white? Because clearly it wasn't a dirth of colored child stars who could play the part. What's the reason then?

I doubt it was just M. Night's choice. He's the director. But there's also a casting director who chooses who gets to be part of the cast. So putting the blame squarely on him isn't fair.

I wasn't putting any blame on him, I'm just curious since he says he loves the anime that he would have had a larger input on the actors about it *shrug*

I just find it a little ironic about all the casting rly... Dave Patel has far darker skin than Zuko did, y'know, so it's not just the main leads who have been skin shifted.

Yeah, I can agree with that last part. The fact she has no idea about any society but her own definitely makes me frown.

wait wut

 

[Makoeyes987]

Well you spoke as if it was entirely M. Night's choice in regards to casting, which it isn't. So no matter how much he watches the show and knows it...that doesn't change the fact he isn't in complete control. Director's don't completely control who gets cast for what role.

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

wait wut

She did not know Koreans wear hanboks and not kimono. Hell, I know that and I'm white. I can also tell you qipaos are Chinese and saris are Indian. ZOMG.

 

[Channy]

I know and I understand that. I was just trying to imply that a Director who's so thoroughly involved with the content of what they're directing, would probably want more input than just a Director who was there to direct for money.

edit: oic... lols

 

[ExMachina]

RE: Shyamalan's involvement with the casting - the man does not have a lot of say considering the fact that his last few projects have been huge flops. He's probably on a very short creative lease with the production company calling most of the shots, even if he took on the project because his family watched the cartoon.

(more racefail trivia on that last point: Shyamalan's daughter brought the series to his attention when she wanted to dress up as Katara for Halloween... and now the character's played by a white girl in the movie, awesome!)