M. Night's THE LAST AIRBENDER

[bastard_robo]

Shyamalan's 'Avatar' also to bigscreen
Filmmaker to create his version of Nick series
By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

M. Night Shyamalan
Shyamalan

'Avatar'
'Avatar'
M. Night Shyamalan and Paramount are planning their own "Avatar" project, based on the popular Nickelodoen kids TV series.

The filmmaker has inked a three-picture deal with Par's MTV Films and Nick Movies to adapt animated kiddie skein "Avatar: The Last Airbender" for the bigscreen. He will write, direct and produce the potential kids franchise.

Film version will be live-action.

Nick TV's "Avatar," which is set in an Asian-influenced fantasy world permeated by martial arts and magic, follows the adventures of the successor to a long line of Avatars who must put aside his irresponsible ways and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations.

Created by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, "Avatar" debuted on the Nicktoons lineup in February 2005. Aimed at 6- to 11-year-olds, show has nabbed strong ratings, including outside its intended demo. It is among the top 10 animated series on all of TV among kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14.

Paramount confirmed the pact with Shyamalan just hours after Fox Filmed Entertainment announced it is greenlighting James Cameron's "Avatar," the director's first feature since "Titanic."

Although they may have the same name, the two projects have nothing to do with each other in terms of storylines. Cameron's is a sci-fi action-adventure that he's been working on for 11 years.

Par said it has registered the name of its project with the Motion Picture Assn. of America.

A Fox rep said, "We own the movie title 'Avatar.' There won't be another film called 'Avatar' coming from anyplace."

MTV Films and Nick Movies prexy Scott Aversano, who reports to Paramount prexy Gail Berman, was instrumental in striking the pact with Shyamalan.

“Avatar” marks the first time Shyamalan has taken on a project that didn’t originate from his own source material. It’s also the first kids’ film he’s worked on, although he said his last film, “Lady in the Water,” began as a bedtime story for his children. He is also shopping other projects, so “Avatar” may not be the first into production.

Shyamalan took "Lady in the Water" to Warner Bros. after a bitter break with Disney, which had passed on the pic. He dissed some at the Mouse House in a book that was published just as Warners opened "Lady," which fell flat at the summer box office.

Shyamalan is repped by CAA.

(Gabriel Snyder contributed to this report.)

[havocSchultz]

I'm making my own Avatar movie wherein one man struggles to come up with and complete the greatest message board avatar of all time...


Will he be the hero and envy of all those around him...?

Will women wanna make it with his photoshop mastering ass...?

Will Prince Adam really splooge all over the 1st 3 rows of the audience...?



It will be the most epic and most entertaining Uno-ilogy ever to be made from a greenlighted budget of $5.85...





We'll sell you the whole seat...



And you'll ask for another one to put your feet up on...

[Ribbons]

Funnily enough, I found this post in the James Cameron's AVATAR thread explaining a little bit about what this series is. So if anyone's interested in a primer on what Shyamalan's working on, read on.

...this is my favourite new cartoon of '06.

I can't be bothered writing the whole description, so read the below from TV.com

In a lost age, the world is divided into four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. Within each nation, there is a remarkable order of men and women called the "benders" who can learn to harness their inborn talent and manipulate their native element. Bending is a powerful form combining martial art and elemental magic. In each generation, only one bender is solely capable of controlling all four elements. That bender is the Avatar.

It's an east meets west US cartoon that is aimed at early teens, so when you watch it expect some younger humour and the like. I enjoy it so much because it reminds me of the excitement I felt when I watched shows like Voltron and Pizza Cats as a kid. It uses the ever-constant Jap-epic plot line (save the world, you are the chosen one although you don't want to be... etc), so the story keeps building from ep to ep, series to series.

I can imagine that Nick are planning to make a movie or two about is as well. It would easily cross formats and make them a bucket load of cash at the same time.

Nickelodeon are promoting the hell out of it, making it their 'big hitter' of the season. There’s card games, video games, dvds, toys…. Everything a sly marketing exec can think of.

It's currently in season 2, and I'm waiting for season 3 to start soon.

ALSO:

I can imagine that Nick are planning to make a movie or two about is as well. It would easily cross formats and make them a bucket load of cash at the same time.

Good call on that one, Monkey!

[King Psyz]

I really like this series, the way it's laid out and everything about it really.

I hope the name alone doesn't kill this project. I'm sure they'll have the use the last airbender footnote no doubt.

[Ribbons]

I like the aesthetic of the series, but I think it loses points for being like the bajillionth story about "The One."

Speaking of which, can we assume that M. Night Shyamalan will cast himself in this role?

[doglips]

I like the aesthetic of the series, but I think it loses points for being like the bajillionth story about "The One."

Speaking of which, can we assume that M. Night Shyamalan will cast himself in this role?

LOL. Only if 'The One' is a haunted, glum looking fellow.

[MasterWhedon]

I'm kinda down with seeing Night try to do a straightforward crowd-pleaser. I just watched Lady in the Water the other night, and while I liked a great deal of it, it feels about as indulgent as The Matriz 2 & 3 to me. The guy just got too far up his own ass in his writing and direction, and I'd like to see him work with something a little more "conventional."

And honestly, the guy is rather business-savvy. He KNOWS he needs a big, big box office success to resecure the artistic freedoms he's been given.

[MonkeyM666]

Funnily enough, I found this post in the James Cameron's AVATAR thread explaining a little bit about what this series is. So if anyone's interested in a primer on what Shyamalan's working on, read on.

...this is my favourite new cartoon of '06.

I can't be bothered writing the whole description, so read the below from TV.com

In a lost age, the world is divided into four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. Within each nation, there is a remarkable order of men and women called the "benders" who can learn to harness their inborn talent and manipulate their native element. Bending is a powerful form combining martial art and elemental magic. In each generation, only one bender is solely capable of controlling all four elements. That bender is the Avatar.

It's an east meets west US cartoon that is aimed at early teens, so when you watch it expect some younger humour and the like. I enjoy it so much because it reminds me of the excitement I felt when I watched shows like Voltron and Pizza Cats as a kid. It uses the ever-constant Jap-epic plot line (save the world, you are the chosen one although you don't want to be... etc), so the story keeps building from ep to ep, series to series.

I can imagine that Nick are planning to make a movie or two about is as well. It would easily cross formats and make them a bucket load of cash at the same time.

Nickelodeon are promoting the hell out of it, making it their 'big hitter' of the season. There’s card games, video games, dvds, toys…. Everything a sly marketing exec can think of.

It's currently in season 2, and I'm waiting for season 3 to start soon.

ALSO:

I can imagine that Nick are planning to make a movie or two about is as well. It would easily cross formats and make them a bucket load of cash at the same time.

Good call on that one, Monkey!

Boody hell, I didn't even know this thread existed (thanks Havoc and Lord VM.) let alone that I was being quoted in it!

Personally I hate the choice of director. Lady in the water was very limp wristed and self-indulgent. Sure he's done a couple of younger style films (Stuart Little is the main one, all though it is aimed at a slightly younger audience, not tweens like avatar is aimed at), but so what?! It just had to be PG 13 violence, the story will take care of it self in regards to themes and the like. The avatar universe is one that focuses quite heavily on the innocence of Ang, the lead, and he'll focus on that too much.

One of the main reasons that Avatar is so popular is the action, and I am yet to see Shyamalan pull that off successfully. He always just implies action, it's like he failed that unit of film school or something (I have only seen Stuart Little, The Village, Lady in the Water and unbreakable so I may be wrong).

Along with all that, if he casts himself as Ang or one of angs sensei’s I will go spare. I can't see if there's any word if he's directing all three or only one. Could it turn out like the Harry potter movie franchise? Let's see Alfonso Cuarón do another kids film. Prisoner of Azkaban was great, but maybe he's a bit dark for it. what about Tetsuya Nomura just for the action scenes then Shyamalan can do the rest of it.

There you go, that's an idea.

[Ribbons]

I've never seen him do an action scene at all. Which could present a challenge, but I've seen other directors rise to the occasion before. At the very least, he'll probably have a unit director who specializes in that sort of thing on a film like this, so if he can't direct action, he might be able to have someone bail him out.

[MonkeyM666]

I hope so, he'll need someone. My suggestion still stands of Tetsuya Nomura. He may do video games (and the occasional movie) but his work would look amazing in live action (if they can make a camera do what he wants it to).

Next question is who's being cast??

Aang will be hard, Katara and Sokka will be easy. Toph will be another hard one. A small blind girl who kicks ass and can actually act will be tricky.

[Fried Gold]

The title will change. I don't see many people wanting to pay for something called Airbender.

Unless they use Bender the robot to publicise it.

[MonkeyM666]

And it may cause issues if people went in to see James Cameron's "Avatar" and they got this one.



I thought that Cameron did another movie after titanic. It was that Imax one about going under to see the real titanic. Is that just me thinking that??

[Ribbons]

I thought that Cameron did another movie after titanic. It was that Imax one about going under to see the real titanic. Is that just me thinking that??

No, that's right. He did two I think - Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep. The first one was a visit to the sunken wreckage of the Titanic, and the second was a documentary about deep sea organisms.

As for the title, this is something that Shyamalan's come up against before. In 2003 when he was making what was ioriginally called The Woods, he changed the title to The Village so's not to conflict with Lucky McKee's movie of the same name. I don't know if legal action was involved or if he just did it out of goodwill, but in either case, I don't think Shyamalan'll have a problem dropping the Avatar from his movie if needs be. My guess is that it'll end up being called The Last Airbender, unless some [sarcasm]genius[/sarcasm] producer decides AIRBENDER would make for a less stupid title.

[havocSchultz]

My guess is that it'll end up being called The Last Airbender, unless some [sarcasm]genius[/sarcasm] producer decides AIRBENDER would make for a less stupid title.

Until people confuse it as a remake to this...

[MonkeyM666]

LOL.... oh Air bud rocked!

[havocSchultz]

LOL.... oh Air bud rocked!

I'd like to see what M. Night could do with the franchise...

[MonkeyM666]

He'll put himself in a dog suit so he could star in it, that's what.

[havocSchultz]

He'll put himself in a dog suit so he could star in it, that's what.

Yeah...but at the end we'd find out that it was never actually a dog suit in the first place...and that he was a cat lover...

[MonkeyM666]

[LaDracul]

I think I'm probably not the only one here that would rather pay to see an "Invader ZIM" movie instead.

"I think the radioactive weasel experiment must be ripe by now...COMPUTER! TAKE ME TO THE WEASELS!!!!"

[TheBaxter]

now with 100% less Avatar


Mods... make it so!

[papalazeru]

I think this series would lend itself well to a movie.

Again, as always, it comes down to whether they can do it right and keep the deeper meanings of a cartoon.

TBH, I didn't think Nick could do any decent animation but Aang and his little Dumbledore friends are awesome.

It was actually thanks to Monkey666 that I got to watching this and since then, I've never regretted it.

You could certainly do a good 3 films out of this without ruining the story.

[bastard_robo]

[quote="Ribbons]. My guess is that it'll end up being called The Last Airbender, unless some [sarcasm]genius[/sarcasm] producer decides AIRBENDER would make for a less stupid title.[/quote]

Well, you nailed it on the head...

[TheBaxter]

. My guess is that it'll end up being called The Last Airbender, unless some [sarcasm]genius[/sarcasm] producer decides AIRBENDER would make for a less stupid title.

Well, you nailed it on the head...

almost... officially it's called M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender

[bastard_robo]

. My guess is that it'll end up being called The Last Airbender, unless some [sarcasm]genius[/sarcasm] producer decides AIRBENDER would make for a less stupid title.

Well, you nailed it on the head...

almost... officially it's called M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender

Dose he really need his name in the fucking title???

I know hes making the movie, but its not his property...

[Ribbons]

I know hes making the movie, but its not his property...

lol, I was just thinking that. I wonder how the people who actually created the series feel. Usually in adaptations it's the other way around ("Stephen King's The Mist," "Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears A Who"). Although that's probably because of the name recognition factor.

[bastard_robo]

I guess, I'm usually have nothing against Directors putting their names in front of their films, but in this case, when its an adapted property.. just bugs

[havocSchultz]

If he wants to make money, he should call it Michael Bay's Last Airbender...

The big twist is that the whole film is all just build up to an action scene...that never arrives...

[silentbobafett]

Does Bender have the same slang meaning anywhere else (i.e USA) as it does in UK? Cos I can see every cinema cracking up as the Trailer Voice man goes: "The Last AirBENDER"...

Shit name, regardless of the actual project...

[papalazeru]

True. It does seem like a shit name on it's own like that.

Why not call it, 'Aang: The last Airbender'.

Actually, scrap that cos it sounds like a club night at the Blue Oyster bar.

[yorrick brown]

shyamalan talks next movie,

Avatar: The Last Airbender" set in a world that's divided up into elemental factions, two of whom are preparing for war. It's somewhat strange seeing Shyamalan's name attached to the film's working title, but Shyamalan explained why he wanted to do the movie and what he hoped to bring to it. "It was just the story. I just loved the story," he told us. "I loved the characters in the story and I felt like I could be me inside this larger canvas of this very long-form movie. I think it inherently had kind of family issues and serious larger topics--at the center, genocide--all kinds of stuff. Cultural differences at the center. It has Buddhism, Hinduism, things I'm interested in. It does have martial arts in a way that's not bang bang bang, but more about the person mastering yourself and the things that I love. I took martial arts for a long time. A ten-year-old at the center. That point of view felt good, like I could do my thing."

"It will be tough to keep it PG from PG-13," he said about doing a PG family film. "It will be tricky. I don't know how to make a PG movie so that's going to be much harder, because with R, everything was no problem."

When asked about the martial arts from the cartoon and how he planned on handling the action, he responded, "The great thing about it is it's almost like they don't ever really touch each other based in this world. They kind of do a form of manifesting something and then it comes at the other person and they manifest something. It'll be great to do it as extensions of what the characters are feeling, and there'll be much more CG."

[ChaoticMoira]

I think I hate James Cameron AND M, Night a little bit right now.

Non the less I am equally excited and cautious about this movie. I absolutely LOVE the cartoon and while I think that its all nice and dandy that the creators of the cartoon are executive producers to the movie, I want to know if the writers of the cartoon are involved in writing the movie?

It will really blow if they try to change the characters personalities or any of the main plot lines. I am concerned about M. Nights "Big Mystery" habit.

[papalazeru]

I think I hate James Cameron AND M, Night a little bit right now.

Non the less I am equally excited and cautious about this movie. I absolutely LOVE the cartoon and while I think that its all nice and dandy that the creators of the cartoon are executive producers to the movie, I want to know if the writers of the cartoon are involved in writing the movie?

It will really blow if they try to change the characters personalities or any of the main plot lines. I am concerned about M. Nights "Big Mystery" habit.

Hahahah! I don;'t blame you but I think Shamalama Ramadamadingdong will work well within constraints.
He's not a bad director, but he does need boundaries. I think they won't alter ang too much.

Again, I may be eating my words in a few months when Shia ends up playing Aang.

[Maui]

Hahahah! I don;'t blame you but I think Shamalama Ramadamadingdong will work well within constraints.

Hopefully the one trick pony will work well within those constraints.

[ChaoticMoira]

Boundaries is exactly the issue. I like Shalamans films. I just hope he doesn't think he should try to push his creative limits (in the wrong way) with this. And I really really hope they don't make the mistake of thinking they should add in Matrix fight scenes. I am so sick of that. It has been done, it isn't good anymore. I fear it happening because kids like it though.

[Maui]

Someone just needs to get their butt in gear and come up with something creative & different for fighting scenes.

We are all getting very tired of matrix style fighting.

[bastard_robo]

Boundaries is exactly the issue. I like Shalamans films. I just hope he doesn't think he should try to push his creative limits (in the wrong way) with this. And I really really hope they don't make the mistake of thinking they should add in Matrix fight scenes. I am so sick of that. It has been done, it isn't good anymore. I fear it happening because kids like it though.

You people do realize that the fighting in the show is ABOVE ordinary. Its a bit MATRIXY as it is.. A combination of the BENDING techniques and off the wall fighting...

Like it or not, its going to be Matrix style, otherwise it wouldn't be faithful to the show..

[ChaoticMoira]

Above ordinary is fine. The bending is obviously a big part of the show, but I wouldn't call it matrixy. I have never seen anyone do strange back bends and speed of light (in slow motion of course) body gyrations to avoid Kataras water bending.

They do martial arts, and they may have more talent than realistically logical, but that is to be expected. Its the ridiculous spinning in the air and slow motion combined with artistically annoying camera angles that makes it matrixy. At least, as I see it.

[Al Shut]

I think Aang does stuff like that at times.

[havocSchultz]

M. Night will film all the fight scenes with the camera focused on just the people reacting to the fight scenes...

Then we'll see the aftermath and be shocked and awed and I'm sure at least a couple of other things too...

[ChaoticMoira]

I think Aang does stuff like that at times.

Granted. But he is an air bender, so I suppose I make allowances for that. I still think they could manage to incorporate his air bending without making you feel like you are watching a matrix remake starring kids. Guess we'll see.

[bastard_robo]

M. Night will film all the fight scenes with the camera focused on just the people reacting to the fight scenes...

Then we'll see the aftermath and be shocked and awed and I'm sure at least a couple of other things too...

i think thats how kevin smith wanted to film his version of THE GREEN HORNET...

[havocSchultz]

M. Night will film all the fight scenes with the camera focused on just the people reacting to the fight scenes...

Then we'll see the aftermath and be shocked and awed and I'm sure at least a couple of other things too...

i think thats how kevin smith wanted to film his version of THE GREEN HORNET...

No...

Kevin Smith's version of The Green Hornet would've just had The Hornet and Kato sitting around afterwards and talking shit about the fight they just had...

"You never go ass to foot..."

[papalazeru]

The thing I don't get is, didn't Shyamalan write Stuart Little? And he directed Wide Awake (which may have been PG-13, but it seemed like it could have passed for PG). I'm not sure what all this talk is about not knowing how to make a PG film... although with an action movie it does admittedly become somewhat more difficult...

And Zuko better be a bad ass.

And Uncle Iroh better look like one but se super funny.

[bastard_robo]

The thing I don't get is, didn't Shyamalan write Stuart Little? And he directed Wide Awake (which may have been PG-13, but it seemed like it could have passed for PG). I'm not sure what all this talk is about not knowing how to make a PG film... although with an action movie it does admittedly become somewhat more difficult...

Star Wars got away with PG for years...

[TheButcher]

From MTV: Shyamalan Eager To Transform Image With ‘Last Airbender’ Franchise

Ask any knowledgeable movie fan over the age of fifteen about “Avatar,” and they’ll hardly be able to control themselves as they geek out over James Cameron’s 2009 comeback movie. Talk to anybody too young to have seen “Titanic” in the theaters, however, and that same word will summon a very different potential blockbuster.

“I wrote the first [movie], which I’m just finishing and polishing up – that’s what I was doing this morning,” grinned M. Night Shyamalan this week when we caught up with him to talk about “The Last Airbender,” his upcoming film based on the hugely-successful Nickelodeon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

While making a film for a younger audience is a big change for the man behind such thrillers as “The Sixth Sense” and “The Happening,” he told us that the gig is a great chance to stretch some new muscles. “What’s great about doing something like that is that let’s say your instinct is to distill me down into three characteristics: thrillers, scary, twist. Let’s just say, ‘Oh, that’s what he does,’” Shyamalan explained. “Then when they come see ‘Last Airbender’ – which has none of those three things in there - and yet, you’ll be able to tell in 30 seconds that I directed it. Now you’ll have to go, ‘Wait, I realize there are other things that define him. [Things] I knew, but was never really acknowledging them on the same level as these other characteristics.’”

According to the Indian-born, Philly-raised writer/director, his “Avatar” is far from kid’s stuff; in fact, there’s plenty of adult themes to capture the attention of fans of all ages.

“The spirituality, the centering on relationships and family, on inherent optimism. Things like that, you’ll see,” he explained of the series, which tells the story of Aang, a 112-year-old monk who appears to be 12 years old, and can control the elements. “It seems like an odd fit [for me], but when you see the movie, literally, it’s full of Buddhist philosophy, it has all this stuff. All the elemental stuff that really lends itself to…almost a Hindu kind of connotations; there’s a lot of Hinduism in it. So suddenly you’ll see those kind of things in the [future] movies, and I think it’ll reflect really well and make the relationship more accurate and more complex, which will be a great thing.”

And yes, you read that last quote correctly. Although Shyamalan has held off on re-visiting hits like “Sixth Sense” and “Unbreakable,” he is eager to break into the sequel business with future “Avatar” flicks.

“I’m supposed to write the second one this Fall when we’re prepping,” he said, noting that the first “Avatar” will hit theaters in July 2010. “I don’t want it to feel like ‘Oh, the first one made a lot of money, let’s make another one.’ It’s not that at all. This is a story told over three movies. A very clear, Shakespearean story that’s told over three movies. And for me, that’s when a franchise works the best, like ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ It’s when it’s all plotted out in advance [that sequels work], and this is the clarity of what we’re doing.”

[BuckyO'harre]

Casting news from EW-

M. Night Shyamalan has found the cast for The Last Airbender, his upcoming live-action film based on the popular anime-inspired Nickelodeon series. The youthful group is mostly filled with 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, while Nicola Peltz (Deck the Halls) will star as his sister Katara. Genial singer Jesse McCartney, meanwhile, is negotiating to play against type in the role of the Fire Nation's evil prince Zuko.

I'm glad they're mostly going with unknowns, but then Jesse McCartney as Zuko?
Oy

[MonkeyM666]

Well I know that I've been quite in this thread (and in the Zone in general), and I have only quickly read threw this thread but aside the fact that I hate sam-alang-ding dong and everything he stands for (yes, I'm still pissed that he's even associated with this project) where doess douche get off claming Aang for his own??? I mean just the way he's talking about 'his avatar' it's really starting to get to me. I may love The Avatar but if it keeps going along the lines it currently is I'll be downloading and giving out at schools so that people stop giving this douche money.

Anyway, I'll read this thread fully have some real input shortly.....

[Ribbons]

Welp, per Variety, Slumdog Millionaire lead Dev Patel has been cast as one of the bad guys in Shyamalan's new movie:

"Slumdog Millionaire" star Dev Patel has joined the cast of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender," the Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Films live-actioner based on a Nick TV series.
Patel will be featured alongside newcomer Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone and Jessica Jade Andres. Production begins in mid-March in Greenland.

In casting Patel and Ringer, a director accustomed to delivering plot twists to audiences got some surprises of his own. Ringer is a complete unknown who was tapped for the title role off an Internet audition. Patel, meanwhile, steps into a role that Jesse McCartney had all but locked up until the actor's second career as a musician got in the way.

"Jesse had tour dates that conflicted with a boot camp I always hold on my films, and where the actors here have to train for martial arts," Shyamalan said.

Patel was "already one of the guys I was interested in. Then I saw 'Slumdog Millionaire,' and the kid just grew in my eyes," he said.

Tyro thesp Ringer will play Aang, the film's lead, who is the last of a race of people who can manipulate the elements of air.

Ringer, a 12-year-old from Texas, landed the part after demonstrating his martial arts skills in an Internet vid that he posted to a website Shyamalan set up for open virtual auditions.

Patel will play Zuko, a member of the Fire Nation. Peltz plays the Water Tribe rep Katara, while Andres is the Earth Kingdom's representative, Suki.

While McCartney was knocked out by scheduling, Rathbone managed to work around a conflict with "New Moon," where he will reprise his role as a bloodsucker from "Twilight."

Paramount is set to release Airbender on July 2, 2010.

Shyamalan said he is planning a three-picture story arc.

I haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire, but I've heard that Patel is a very good actor, so I guess this is good news. I dunno. I used to look forward to each new Shyamalan film, but he's just had too many duds in a row. This is an interesting change of pace for him, so it could end up being his triumphant return or a total disasterpiece. He has always had a knack for getting good performances out of child actors though, so at least there's that

[bastard_robo]

Slumdog is playing Zuko.... I guess its better than that singer they were going for, but an Indian guy playing Zuko??