New The Last Airbender trailer

[Graywand2]

Probably, because it's important. Ethnicity is not a non-issue where A:TLA is concerned. This is one point that hasn't been raised yet, I think: the fact that one of the defining qualities of A:TLA is how progressive it is in its celebration of non-Western cultures. That progressiveness, that symbolism, is important. By analogy, imagine how Star Trek fans would've reacted if J. J. Abrams had cast white actors as Sulu and Uhura. Those characters were landmarks because of the progressiveness of their casting, and that inclusion is fundamental to what ST is all about. So recasting them as white would've been rightly seen as an outrage. Well, a lot of A:TLA fans feel the same way about its inclusiveness, its status as an important step forward in the media's depiction of ethnic diversity. And as with Trek, that inclusiveness was an important part of the creators' intentions. That's why this is being reacted to as such a betrayal.

There's a difference. Hikaru Sulu and Nyota Uhura are written as coming from Earth, from real-world ethnic groups. Aang and his friends and enemies are from a fictional world with equally fictional ethnic groups with cultures that have just as many Western influences as Asian influences.

The ethnic groups inhabiting the Four Nations are no more real than Numenor or Lothlorien or Seanchan. Or for that matter Vulcan, Andoria, Bajor, etc.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Probably, because it's important. Ethnicity is not a non-issue where A:TLA is concerned. This is one point that hasn't been raised yet, I think: the fact that one of the defining qualities of A:TLA is how progressive it is in its celebration of non-Western cultures. That progressiveness, that symbolism, is important. By analogy, imagine how Star Trek fans would've reacted if J. J. Abrams had cast white actors as Sulu and Uhura. Those characters were landmarks because of the progressiveness of their casting, and that inclusion is fundamental to what ST is all about. So recasting them as white would've been rightly seen as an outrage. Well, a lot of A:TLA fans feel the same way about its inclusiveness, its status as an important step forward in the media's depiction of ethnic diversity. And as with Trek, that inclusiveness was an important part of the creators' intentions. That's why this is being reacted to as such a betrayal.

There's a difference. Hikaru Sulu and Nyota Uhura came from Earth, from real-world ethnic groups. Aang and his friends and enemies are from a fictional world with equally fictional ethnic groups with cultures that have just as many Western influences as Asian influences.

Right, everyone knows Sulu is Korean and Uhura is of Dominican/Puerto Rican heritage.


EDIT: OK, I am being (somewhat) facetious (or contentious at least) and I think it's worthy of discussion, just not for every single aspect of the movie.

 

[CaptainCanada]

No, again, they're clearly analogues for Tibet and the Innu tribes; they're as Asian as Rohan and Gondor are European (ie, very); or as the cast of Earthsea were nonwhite.

Oh, for the love of God, you're not one of the people who think that Paramount's studio executives got together one day and decided they didn't like brown people and issued some order on high not to cast them, are you?

One doubts it went down like that, but the casting call for the main roles explicitly favours white people.

The white/brown thing, though, seems to be something they just stumbled into, since Zuko was originally to be played by a talentless white guy.

 

[Christopher]

Christoper I tend to agree with most of your points. However with the villian issue it becomes a non issue by book 3. As this goes on the nonwhite villian thing is going to be turned on its head.

Yes, and I acknowledged as much. That doesn't change the fact that the casting in this film has some unfortunate implications. I mean, let's face it, we don't even know if this movie will do well enough to get sequels. Frankly, given the bizarrely wrong choice of director, and given that Shyamalan hasn't made a watchable movie in years or a good one in even longer, I wouldn't bet on the whole trilogy getting made.

With the daily show guy. I will reserve judgment until I see him. As someone who has acted in the past, I know comedy is really hard and that going from comedy to serious is a easier step then most think. Its possible he gave a really good audition. It's possible they all gave really good audition's.

Yeah, maybe. But he has a really high-pitched voice and it's hard to imagine him as Zhao.

The white/brown thing, though, seems to be something they just stumbled into, since Zuko was originally to be played by a talentless white guy.

It's not that random. After the all-white casting of the leads sparked outrage, they announced that McCartney had "had to" drop out and they cast Patel in his place. It's pretty self-evident that they did a token recasting to try to ameliorate the protests. But by casting an Indian actor as the nominal villain and keeping all three main heroes white, they kinda made it worse.

 

[Graywand2]

I stated earlier in this thread that M. Night didn't want to make this movie without Niccola Peltz. It's up there somewhere, take a look.

 

[CaptainCanada]

If he said that, he said it following an audition that had already prioritized casting white actors in what are Asian/Innuit roles.

 

[SG-17]

I can think of only 3 truly evil people in all of Avatar and one of them is debatable.
.

Ozai, Azula, and Zhao?

 

[Christopher]

There's a difference. Hikaru Sulu and Nyota Uhura came from Earth, from real-world ethnic groups. Aang and his friends and enemies are from a fictional world with equally fictional ethnic groups with cultures that have just as many Western influences as Asian influences.

You're just not getting it. It's not about the fictional characters. It's about acknowledging the value of people of different ethnicities and cultures in our world. The importance of Uhura and Sulu wasn't about Uhura and Sulu, it was about the statement being made about diversity and inclusion, a statement that inspired millions of African- and Asian-Americans to strive for more than they'd believed possible before, and that taught millions of Caucasian Americans to accept them. Avatar: TLA can have a similar impact on young viewers in the real world, shaping how they perceive interethnic relations and how they treat one another as they grow up. The casting in the movie is undermining that. Not only does it fail to inspire its viewers in the same way, but it reinforces the stereotypes and expectations that A:TLA was created to counteract. The show took a significant step forward and the movie is dragging it backward.

 

[Hyperspace05]

Right, everyone knows Sulu is Korean and Uhura is of Dominican/Puerto Rican heritage.

LOL indeed!

 

[Thestral]

You know, I'm beginning to be curious about this show now especially after glancing over the Wiki entry for it. Is there any way to get caught up quickly, maybe Hulu?

What's that got to do with anything? There are many Americans of Asian heritage. And America is supposed to be about inclusion and the celebration of diversity.

Err, no, America's certainly not about inclusion or celebrating diversity. From that perspective, America's just another country with an imperfect history that hopefully is improving because of the people that make it up. Inclusion and celebrating diversity have nothing to do with America and everything to do with humanity.

 

[Graywand2]

This whole argument, no matter what people try to say about it, is at it's very core, at it's very heart, past all the crap people try to make it out to be, is just one group of people trying to claim that another group of people are inappropriate for a certain position based solely on the color of their skin. That's how it started out in those days over a year ago when people started bitching and moaning in the EW thread and the Avatarspirit boards, and even if the argument has evolved over time, and even if it has some good points, those good points were and are built on a foundation that runs absolutely counter to everything I believe in as a person of color, and as a human being, which makes those points irrelevant.

Which is why I will never change my opinion on this. Ever. No matter what people say.

 

[CaptainCanada]

This whole argument, no matter what people try to say about it, is at it's very core, at it's very heart, past all the crap people try to make it out to be, is just one group of people trying to claim that another group of people are inappropriate for a certain position based solely on the color of their skin.

Yes, white actors are inappropriate to play what are supposed to be Asian/Inuit roles. Avatar: The Last Airbender is quintessentially Asian in its world. There are plenty of roles out there that can be played by people of any race; these are not meant to among them. They have a very specific context, just as The Lord of the Rings does.

 

[Theonethatis]

I can think of only 3 truly evil people in all of Avatar and one of them is debatable.
.

Ozai, Azula, and Zhao?

Yep. Though I think Azula is debatable. Is she born bad or did something bad happen to her. according to the beach episode there is a real person in there somewhere.

Well I am sure Inuit actors are sparse in hollywood. Though I do believe they could have gotten Native American actors. I am hoping that in book two that the earth nation which is the biggest nation is east asian.

 

[Graywand2]

One Azula is a sociopath, which is what all the evidence throughout the series suggests.

Two, the culture is based on Asian and Inuit culture, but the people themselves are not. Culture, and the right to take part in it, are open to everyone. No ethnic group has a monopoly on any one culture and no ethnic group has a right to. Culture, cultural traditions, cultural values, they belongs to us all. Therefore, as long as the actors do the characters and the underlying cultures justice, and don't mock them, I don't care if they're black, white, asian, I don't care. In this case, they happen to be white.

 

[Theonethatis]

again I agree with your points Graywand. I also want someone who embodies thiose characters more then I care about race. This is pretty much why I am not upset because so far I see Katara, Zuko and Sokka. But the anticaster's also make very good points

However the beach episode does show that there is a real person in Azula somewhere. That whole family is just so messed up. Perhaps I feel for her because she reminds me of my sister.

 

[Graywand2]

Moving on from race. I believe Azula's a sociopath from the scene in the Day of Black Sun when Toph didn't detect any change in Azula's heartbeat at all from the lie. That clinched it for me. She's a sociopath.

 

[Theonethatis]

Its been a while since I have seen that episode. I will have to review and discuss it further. I just remember that beach episode and everyone telling their secrets. I felt sorry for Azula.

 

[Thestral]

Ok, so I just watched the first two episodes of this cartoon and I am now officially a fan. Good stuff!

 

[Manticore]

Ok, so I just watched the first two episodes of this cartoon and I am now officially a fan. Good stuff!

It gets better. :-)

 

[LaxScrutiny]

I am most worried about Aang. We havent seen enough of him and this is his first role. Aang goes through a lot of emotions in the series and you need a good actor to play that. Also Aang has a lot of innocence about him.

What bugs me in the trailer is that in that slow-motion shot of "Aang" sliding underneath a weapon or whatever, it's clearly a female stunt double who seems to be taller and slimmer than Ringer.

Wait till you see the deep voiced, buff guy that's playing Toph.