Netflix's live-action Avatar TV show has reportedly found its Aang, Katara, Sokka and Zuko, and fans are feeling cautiously optimistic about the castings.
The Last Airbender, from director M. Night Shyamalan, is derided for its poor portrayal of the show's characters, whitewashing and compaction of the original story into a zippy 90-minute stretch. The reception to the film was so terrible that Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures scrapped the plans for a trilogy and wouldn't touch the project with a ten-foot barge pole. As a result, the announcement that Netflix was trying once again to revive Avatar had fans finally hopeful for a representative and exciting adaptation of their favourite anime. Original creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko were on board as showrunners, however, the duo departed the project owing to a "negative and unsupporting environment" and creative differences.
Members of the original show's cast haven't expressed enthusiasm for the adaptation, either. "You're doing the exact same series, but as a live-action. You're not adding onto it or expanding the universe. You're doing the same thing, which feels redundant, but I don't know," said actress Olivia Hack, who played Ty Lee, in a virtual reunion panel earlier this year.
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One of the actors who's apparently been cast as one of the major characters in the new Netflix show is also appearing in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Check out the trailer for the film below.
If you're on the fence about Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation, then check out these casting reveals from Avatar News, an unofficial fan site that has been watching the project's progression like a hawk. VV, who compiles all of the information, stated that these castings are not official and are actually the conclusion of an investigation on links between social media profiles and the dates of casting calls.
According to their research, Gordon Cormier has bagged the role of Aang. The 11-year-old actor has been seen in The Stand and Lost in Space. Katara and Sokka will be portrayed by Kiawentiio Tarbell and Ian Ousley. In April, she said in an interview that it would be a "dream" to be involved with Avatar: The Last Airbender and she is "dying to be Katara," so this is one heck of an achievement for the actress.
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With credits in 13 Reasons Why and Physical, Ian Ousley is playing Sokka, who is not a water bender like his sister and acts as the group's comic relief and resolute protector at the same time. Last but not least, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation will be played by Dallas Liu. Liu has been slowly and steadily adding credits to his name, like Players, PEN15 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Of course, this announcement has not been acknowledged by Netflix nor any of the actors themselves, so we've got to take this with a pinch of salt. Fans are pretty pleased if this is the case, though. "They didn't white wash it and they actually look their age??" said yuvonjack on TikTok. "This is better than I was expecting!"
Featured Image Credit: Nickelodeon Animation StudiosTopics: TV and Film, News, Netflix