Photo Credit: George Arriola

There are very few television shows that can stand up to the age-split test in our house. Avatar – The Last Airbender, on Nickelodeon, is one can hold a six-year-old and a thirteen-year-old spellbound (with parents glancing in from the background). So it’s very good news that the live-action movie being developed by Paramount Pictures and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is scheduled to be released this summer.

An interesting controversy has developed around this movie that, to me, demonstrates both the wide appeal of this story, as well as the power of the fan and social media. A group of adult fans of the show were outraged when the movie’s cast was announced and all four main characters were cast as Caucasians. In the casting sheets, these four characters were specified to be Caucasian, while the extras were specified as ”any ethnicity except Caucasian.” (In addition, extra candidates were asked to appear in their native garb.) Fans mobilized under the banner “Aang Ain’t White” to bring to light how this trend in movie casting. The group initiated a letter-writing and media campaign and had some success: the part of Zuko was recast with Dev Patel, star of Slumdog Millionaire. (It should be noted that in most of the movie Zuko is an enemy.) You can read a complete chronicle this effort and an analysis of fan activism by the brilliant Henry Jenkins here.

This controversy would be great conversation fodder for a family. How do kids see race? What have they noticed the Eastern culture in Avatar – The Last Airbender? Would it seem strange to them to see Caucasian actors for these characters? What other movies are cast with kids of color?

Finally, good news for fans: Paramount describes the movie as “the opening chapter in Aang’s struggle to survive.” Which can only mean one thing: sequel.