Studio Cut

The world is engulfed by the fires of war, and no one has the power to stop the inevitable destruction…until now.

For nearly a century, the Fire Nation has waged its deadly campaign for global domination over its fellow tribal nations of Air, Water and Earth.  They offer but one choice to the tribes who fall to their might—complete surrender, or complete annihilation.

As the villagers vainly attempt to defend themselves, they stand behind the chosen few who can command their nation’s element and ‘bend’ it to their will.  Backed by enormous armies and weapons of destruction, however, the firebenders have already eliminated every airbender on the planet and now, they turn their attentions to the Water Nation, headquartered in their northern fortress.

The epicenter of that world is Aang, the Avatar, and the search for just the right young performer took six months and covered a lot of territory.  When filmmakers received a DVD showcasing a young martial arts champion from Dallas, Texas, serendipity and fate collided.

Noah Ringer had begun practicing Taekwondo, the martial art and national sport of South Korea, at the age of 10, his skills later garnering accolades, including the title of American Taekwondo Association Texas State Champion.  Early on, Noah had begun shaving his head to help cool off during training.  When his friends and his instructor, all fans of the animated series, noted how much he looked like the television hero, they started calling Noah by the nickname of “Avatar.”  Intrigued, he began watching the series on DVD, and he really connected with the non-stop action martial arts sequences.

When it was announced that Paramount was conducting international casting calls for roles in “The Last Airbender,” Noah—urged by his Taekwondo instructor—made a DVD audition tape, even painting the character’s signature blue arrow on his already shaved head.

“Noah is Aang.  There is no way around it.  From the moment we saw his audition tape, we could see the sincerity in those big brown eyes,” says Shyamalan.  “He is dedicated to his craft and he truly cares and wants to work harder every day.  His discipline is unprecedented for such a young man.”

Adds producer Frank Marshall, “From the get-go, Noah had a very Zen-like quality to him, and that is exactly what we were searching for in this character.”

Having to combine acting with his martial arts expertise, Noah says, “Night really helped me feel the focus and get that power and energy into my acting, which will help me forever in my life.”

In any compelling story of ‘good versus evil,’ everybody knows you have to have a great villain.  So, getting someone to match Ringer in the part of Prince Zuko would be key..

Having just come off of the seemingly out-of-nowhere success of the Oscar®-winning “Slumdog Millionaire,” leading actor Dev Patel was in search of a role as different as possible from his “Slumdog” character, Jamal.  While publicizing the indie hit, Patel submitted himself on tape for the Prince, and later got ‘the call’ from Shyamalan, offering him the part.

Says Shyamalan, “In actuality, vulnerability is Zuko’s strong suit.  Dev Patel’s sweet spot is vulnerability.  Dev was that man-child when we cast him for the part, the perfect combination of anger and compassion.”

Offers Patel (who watched “Avatar” during downtime on the set of “Slumdog”), “Prince Zuko is torn between his passion and his struggle to regain his honor in his father’s eyes.  I always loved the story, because it has a lot of lessons to be learned, and I have always been a big Bruce Lee fan, so of course I loved all the martial arts stuff in the animated series.”

When Ringer and Patel met on the first day of shooting, a mutual respect was formed then and there.  Per Patel:  “I saw this 12-year-old kid come onto the set of this massive film and was surprised to see that he was just unwaverable.  His martial arts training had really given him this steadiness and determination to go for it, regardless of the challenge.”

Like Ringer, the young actress Nicola Peltz had also decided to submit herself for a part in Shyamalan’s latest film, and was called in to read for the role of waterbender Katara—and later, offered the role.  Peltz had become quite familiar with the character, having faithfully watched the series with her younger twin brothers.

Like Shyamalan’s daughters, little girls everywhere look up to Katara and her strength as a young woman.  Says Peltz, “She is an amazing role model for girls.  Anything she puts her mind to, she’ll do—she is so physically and mentally strong.”

With both parents absent, Katara’s older brother Sokka gladly accepts the role of protector.  Even though Sokka isn’t gifted with bending skills, he still possesses the soul of a true warrior.  If Katara is ever threatened, he will spring into action with his boomerang or a spear.  Cast in the part was Jackson Rathbone of “Twilight” fame, who brings a brooding physicality to the role.

Says Shyamalan, “In the film I grounded Sokka more, so, while there is humor in the film, he is not the comic relief.  That gave Jackson more of a range to play with, and during the course of the film, you can really watch Sokka grow up.”

In addition to the trek he and his sister take, Sokka’s character also undergoes an emotional journey when he meets Princess Yue, played by Seychelle Gabriel, and falls in love with her.  Says Rathbone, “In a way, Sokka is a hick from the Southern Water Tribe, and he goes to the big city of the Northern Water Tribe, where he meets this beautiful and sophisticated princess.  Their relationship teaches him so much, and he grows up a great deal.”

Prince Zuko’s journey is fueled by the duties of family.  After being shamed in battle, Zuko has been ostracized by his father, Fire Lord Ozai (pla yed by Cliff Curtis).  Zuko is determined to win back his father’s love and esteem.  Zuko is aided by his Uncle Iroh (played by Shaun Toub), an ex-general and veteran of many wars, who acts as a mentor and confidante to the young prince.

The Fire Nation rules and is ruled by militaristic force—so it is no surprise that, on a personal level, the same philosophy of ‘might makes right’ holds true.  It is the duty of the strong to push the weak aside and take rule.  Believing himself a more accomplished leader than the Zuko, Commander Zhao (played by Aasif Mandvi) is out to take the place of the shamed prince, and will go to any lengths to earn the Fire Lord’s favor.

To fill out the cast with the tribesmen of the four nations, open casting calls were held all over the East Coast for actors who would be called upon to exhibit a list of skills from many disciplines—martial arts, the military, dancing, gymnastics.  Calls were put out for actors of all age groups, including children (ranging from six to fifteen).

Men resembling Middle Eastern, Indian, Mediterranean and Italian peoples were cast as Fire Nation soldiers.  A mix of men, women and children resembling those of Korean, Japanese, Mongolian and African descent were cast as the Earth Kingdom citizens living under Fire Nation rule. Likewise, hundreds of men, women and children resembling those of Anglo descent were cast as villagers in the Southern and Northern Water Tribes.

THE LAST AIRBENDER is released and distributed by United International Pictures thru Solar Entertainment Corp.  In Cinemas 21 July 2010 (Wednesday).