Avatar: The Last Airbender

This is an upcoming movie (slated 2010 release), which is based on the TV show. Being a very big fan, I wasn't too pleased to find out that M. Night Shyamalan was directing. But that's not the point here. Now, there's hue and cry in the fandom (not unwarranted), as white actors have been signed on to play the four main leads in the movie.

Avatar: The Legend of Aang (formerly : The Last Airbender) is an animated TV series set in an alternate universe where its characters, settings, philosophy, and architecture (among other things) are based on Inuit (for the Water-benders) and Asian (pretty much everything else; do correct me if I'm mistaken) cultures. Now, as much as I would prefer if East Asians were cast, I don't really have a problem with white actors being the leads (except for Jesse McCartney whom I see as mere marketing fodder 'cuz he has a huge fanbase), as long as they will look like their animated counterparts (I'm a purist; deal with it) and be able to fit into the Avatar universe appearance-wise, which is a bit difficult without them going yellow-/brownface (and be offensive), since everything else is borrowed heavily from Asian culture. For me, as long as the movie looks like the TV show it is adapted from (and not LOOSELY adapted), short of being 2D-animated ('cuz then it'll be pointless), I'll be very happy.

Recently, casting calls for extras have asked for "multi-ethnic actors". Now, logic would dictate that as the leads are white, naturally the secondary and minor characters should also be played by white actors, since they will be related to the leads by way of bloodline and/or culture (I'd like to call this consistency in the film). But that isn't so. The casting calls even go to the extent of asking those auditioning to wear traditional cultural ethnic garb, and in one instance, the casting director said to those clad in casual wear, "even if you came with a scarf today, put it over your head so you'll look like a Ukrainian villager or whatever." She even asked for Koreans to wear kimonos.

[I thought they were called 'hanboks'.]

Is it me, or does she sound insensitive and culturally ignorant? She is looking for ethnic actors to make the Avatar universe more diverse, and as the casting director (no less!), she should've realised that casting ethnic actors would create an even starker contrast between the mains and the extras. I mean, talk about being able to differentiate a character's importance to the story just by the color of their skin.

Aang Ain't White has a campaign called Saving The World With Postage, where it calls for fans to write polite and non-flaming letters to the producers to convey their displeasure at the casting. They have pretty useful guides on how to write the letters, and it's quite up-to-date about the dates of the casting calls (where they do peaceful protests; I'd love to participate but I don't live in the States). Do check them (and their awesome visual essay) out; that's pretty much where the latest information on the movie are pooled.

Just today, I found that Jesse McCartney has dropped out of negotiations due to tour dates, and was replaced by Dev Patel of Slumdog Millionaire fame.

To be frank, I'm shocked at this abrupt turn of events.

I wasn't really expecting McCartney to be in the movie (he was in negotiations for quite some time), but this was something else entirely. It seems to me that a rising Asian star was cast just to appease the fandom, and a not-so-good attempt at that, when they couldn't even be bothered to match the actor to a more suitable character in the Avatar universe.

A lot of people have mentioned that Patel is a welcome addition to the cast since it creates diversity. Yes, there is diversity among the leads now, but the way I see it, nothing's really changed. Dev Patel looks nothing like Zuko (farther from that than McCartney, I'm sorry to say), even though he may have the acting chops. And it brings a chain reaction of sorts: As Zuko is the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, this would mean that Patel's casting would lead to Indian/dark-skinned Asian actors playing the Royal Family, which would lead to the entire Fire Nation being played by ethnic actors, because in the TV show, all Fire Nation citizens (Royal Family included) are of similar skin tone.

[This supports the rumor that Shyamalan wants to play Uncle Iroh. Appa forbid. I shudder at the thought.]

It is decisions like these that are made at our (the fans') expense, at the expense of those of us who would like to see the show done right (and right by us, if I may add). It is good that they are beginning to acknowledge that Asian actors (so far, actor) could be an integral part of this production (it is a step in the right direction), but it doesn't really solve the problem, as I feel Zuko is still miscast, even though Patel is miles better than McCartney.

Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against these actors or the production crew. And although it seems an impossible task (at the moment), I just want to see my favourite TV show of all time be adapted into a movie franchise that remains true to its roots, one that all fans, may it be the utmost-devoted or the casual, could be proud of.