The Cast of ‘The Last Airbender’
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
Some of the characters have been cast in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender, the live action adaptation of the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar.
It seems that the young group is filled with mostly unknowns who are likely to be household names by the time Paramount opens the first in its potential three-film franchise in July 2010.
After an open casting call in Texas, Shyamalan discovered karate star Noah Ringer and offered him the part of Airbender’s 12-year old hero, Aang, an Avatar with superpowers who must stop the Fire Nation from destroying the world.
Twilight’s Jackson Rathbone has been asked to play Aang’s pal Sokka, a would-be warrior of the South Pole’s Southern Water Tribe.
Nicola Peltz (Deck the Halls) will star as Sokka’s sister Katara, the last remaining Waterbender of her entire Tribe.
Singer Jesse McCartney will play the Fire Nation’s evil prince Zuko. Exiled from the Fire Nation by his father, Zuko is determined to capture the Avatar in order to restore his honor and right to the throne.
The Last Airbender hits theaters July 2, 2010.
(EW)
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I havent seen much of these actors to be able to fairly judge this, but I cringe at Jesse McCartney
I did as well Prettz, but I have to be honest, that was only my knee-jerk reaction. The more I think about it, and the more I look at that picture, the more I think we might not want to completely write him off. From what I’ve seen of McCartney’s acting chops (which is admittedly very little) he’s not a bad actor. Granted, this would be totally playing against type for him, but if he can pull it off it might actually be a good role for him. Looking at that picture in particular, I can picture the scar over his left eye and I think he would at least look like Zuko.
While shocking at first, he might end up surprising everyone. I mean, who would have thought that the male lead from 10 Things I Hate About You would become (arguably) the most iconic version of the Joker EVER? Just saying… don’t write McCartney off yet.
Interesting cast . . .
I was hoping they’d cast people with more ethnic diversity.
I agree! Sokka and Katara are not supposed to be white!
i know and jesse mcartney doesn’t fit the role of zuko
Not sure about the karate star thing.
I know he needs to fight a lot, but that’s what stunt doubles are for. There are no doubles for acting…
TNN – I agree. Did it really HAVE to be a bunch of white kids? That’s kind of sad…
Why couldn’t they have cast Dante Basco as Zuko? That way we’d have the same voice from the cartoon, and I think he even looks quite a bit like Zuko.
@Polygon – Probably because Dante Basco is 33 years old :P
I’m just excited that it’s moving foreward. I have to admit that I thought that the Water Tribe was supposed to be closer to Eskimo in ethnicity.
Yeah, and I was looking foward to girls with without the blonde hair/blue eyes combo having someone to look up to in Katara. I’m sure these kids will be good at playing their charecters (why else would they be cast?) but I was hoping Hollywood was a bit more..I dunno.. I’m just kinda let dissapointed
Well crap. I must have been looking at a REALLY old picture of him then.
I gotta say I am looking forward to this. Quite a bit. I hope to end up seeing all of Avatar before then, it’s one of the few good cartoons left nowadays. And since Shyamalan isn’t writing it I have some vague hope for it. I didn’t have any expectations and I still don’t.
Interesting, although I’ve only seen Jesse act (Summerland) and he’s a pretty good actor; did a good job on that show at least.
Can’t wait to see the first trailer for this. :)
NO! just NO!!! Jesse McCartney?!?! he cannot play Zuko. Zuko is hot, Jesse McCartney is not. and seriously, Sokka and Katara are not white kids no matter how much they act like it.
Woah i dont know about the cast :/
I would have to see how it turns out!
I really liked Jackson as Jasper i hope if this is true he will do good!!!
Jesse i dont know i would have too with some makup and stuff :D
haha
how many seasons was the show?
@nocternal
3 seasons. (water, earth & fire). Wait, that sounds like a 70s disco band.
I know Noah. He is an awesome kid. He has a wonderful heart and will be a great Aang!
you know how noah ringer looks like?
I really like most of the castings. Really the only one I am up in the air about is Jesse. Like Scott said though I am not going to write him off yet until I see something from him. He does look the part.
On a side note a very awesome casting is John Glover will be joining the cast of Heroes in the next volume!
So we have all the cast photos except for the most important one?
I would imagine a lot of teenage girls would disagree with you Sapphire.
He has dark hair now I think. Don’t assume blonds are natural, hehe.
So the Asian characters are being played by white kids, Zuko my favorite character is being played my Jesse McCartney and M Night is making this? All hope that I had for this movie is gone.
There is just a little irony in an American made “anime” series starring Asian characters that is then made into a movie, and has the characters replaced by Caucasians. Bizarrely enough, almost all Japanese Anime characters look Caucasian to begin with.
Anyway, I think it’s probably going to be a good thing they went that direction. After all, I would image the pool of English speaking Asian actors in America is a little low. I seem to recall that being one of the reasons Masi Oka was cast as Hiro.
I dont really mind the other but jesse mcarteny cant play Zuko and arent they supposed to be 12 not 20
They should be younger, like they are in the cartoon version, however I’m not sure if that would exactly translate well into the film version.
I’m super excited for the movie to come out & I know Noah will do a great job! It doesn’t matter that his picture isn’t up here, just know he looks just like Aang & is the nicest boy I know :)
Seriously, I think its a great idea for a movie… but you need better casting…. Jesse McCartney is no Zuko for sure, I can see Jackson Rathbone as Sokka, but the film needs diversity, I mean, the whole theme around the cartoon was about balance and harmony and different people coming together to make a change… MAKE A GOOD MOVIE and don’t do what Andrew Adamson, and Anna Peacock did to The Chronicles of Narnia…
I don’t think that the movie just needs diversity for diversities sake. If these are the actor that the think are the best for the movie they are going to make then that is fine to me. Like Randy said, there aren’t a whole lot of english speaking asian actors, especially that kids are going to be able to understand. I mean the voice actors on the show don’t sound especially asian, even if they are supposed to be. And besides the characters aren’t asian anyway. This is a fictional world, and while their style and tradition may be loosely based on asian culture, they are not the same. How about we hold real judgement until we see a trailer, or even see the movie itself.
Maybe they’ll use make-up on the kids like they did to Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder?
really hoping that was a joke
this film is doomed.
ok, um…. Katara and sokka ISN’T WHITE!!!! sheeshu can find lots of people that looks like them but why them?!?!
TO BE HONEST I AM ONLY UPSET ABOUT ZUKO, Jesse McCartney, I AM NOT GOING TO BASH THE KID HOWEVER, I JUST DON’T WANT HIM TO PLAY ZUKO. IF HE PLAYS ZUKO THEN, ALL DIVERSITY IS GONE FROM THE MOVIE. YOU HAVE TO SET THE NEXT CHARATERS AROUND THE ZUKO CHARATER, UNCLE, FIRELORD, AZULA, MAY, TY LEE, AND EVEN ROKU WILL HAVE TO BE WHITE. IF THEY DON’T THE MOVIE WILL NOT BE BELIEVILBE. SO IF THE CHARACTER CHANGE THEN THE CULTURE HAS TO CHANGE TO. PEOPLE ARE NOT STUPID. THE ASIAN INFLUENCES OF THE CARTOON HAVE TO BE TONE DOWN AT THE VERY LEAST. I WILL NOT WORK TO HAVE THIS VERY ASIAN CULTURE INHABITED BY WHITE PEOPLE, SORRY. THE REALISM OF THE MOVIE WILL BE GONE. SO I JUST WISH THEY WOULD CHANGE THE NAME OF THE CHARATER TO ANDY, KATE, SAM, AND ZACHERY. THAT WOULD FIT MUCH BETTER.
no dev patel is zuko
even more messed up
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