Racebending.com

Paramount Pictures casts white actors as Asian Characters in children’s film

The Last Airbenderis set to release July 2010. And the tagline should read: In an Asian world, only three white heroes can save the world.

The film, a live-action adaptation of the hit animated television series AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, is part of a franchise widely advertised in 2005 by Nickelodeon executives as set in a “fantastical Asian world.” Despite the show’s overt use of elements from Asian cultures and concepts—including Asian religions and martial arts—initial casting calls indicated a preference for Caucasian actors, and ultimately only Caucasian actors were cast in the lead protagonist roles. Conversely, all casting sheets for background roles and non-speaking extras have requested actors of specific East Asian, Asian, Hispanic and Middle Eastern nationalities.

Fans were outraged by the December 9th, 2008 casting announcement and immediately mobilized, writing over two hundred letters protesting the ‘whitewashing’ of the movie to producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, and director M. Night Shyamalan. Although the production has since cast actor Dev Patel (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) as antagonist ‘Prince Zuko,’ minority actors have again been relegated to supporting and villain roles. The cast of THE LAST AIRBENDER does not reflect the cultural diversity of the source material and instead evokes the infamous and archaic Hollywood practice of “yellowface,” where white actors are ‘made
up’ to play Asian characters.

In addition to “yellowface”, Paramount Pictures’ casting of THE LAST AIRBENDER perpetuates the Hollywood stereotype to portray the heroes as white and the villains as darker-skinned. In the animated series, the Inuit-based nation (Water Tribe) and Tibetan-based nation (Air Nomads) are the heroes. In the movie, both the Water Tribe and Air Nomads will be completely white-washed and populated with white actors. Conversely, the genocidal, evil Fire Nation will be entirely populated with darker-skinned actors, who actively oppress and destroy all other Nations.

The Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) and the East West Players have both taken action to discuss and work with Paramount Pictures. Also, a variety of newspapers and online magazines have since reported on this issue, questioning Paramount Pictures for their racial bias when casting roles for this children’s film.

Paramount is trying to put a bandaid on this problem by casting Asian actors in minor, background and villainous roles, in a world that will still be saved by three white heroes. For fans, now is the time to tell them that that isn’t good enough.

The pre-production window is closing. This valid concern must be taken into journalistic consideration. With more attention from media sources, we hope to show Paramount that their audience — no matter what their own race may be — won’t support this project as it stands.