The Last Airbender

The Last Airbender is an upcoming Action-adventure fantasy film scheduled to be released on July 2, 2010. It is a live-action film adaptation based on the first season of the highly successful, Emmy-winning animated television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. The first of a planned trilogy, it will be produced by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies. The series, influenced by Asian art, mythology and various martial arts fighting styles, was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and was adapted by M. Night Shyamalan, who will also direct and produce the film along with Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Sam Mercer and Scott Aversano. Filming began in mid-March 2009; the movie is scheduled to be released on July 2, 2010.

The film stars Noah Ringer as Aang, a reluctant hero who prefers adventure over his job as the Avatar. Aang and his friends, Katara and Sokka, journey to the North Pole to find a Waterbending master to teach Aang and Katara the secrets of the craft. At the same time, Fire Lord Ozai, the current Fire Lord of the Fire Nation, is waging a seemingly endless war against the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and the already vanquished Air Nomads. The film also stars Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, and Dev Patel.

Premise

In a world where the elements, Water, Earth, Fire, and Air can be controlled by people known as "benders", the Fire Nation is waging a ruthless war to control the other great nations. The only hope for stopping the war rests on the shoulders of a young boy named Aang (Noah Ringer). The last known Airbender and survivor of the peaceful Air Nomads, Aang is the Avatar. The Avatar is the physical embodiment of the world, with the ability to control all four elements and draw upon the combined power, knowledge, and experience of the Avatar's previous incarnations. The Avatar's duty is to maintain peace between the four nations and the spirit realm, ensuring that the world remains in balance, despite the Fire Nation's war. Aided by a protective teenage Waterbender named Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her warrior brother Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), and his forever loyal Sky Bison Appa, Aang begins a perilous journey to restore balance to their war-torn world. Standing in their way is the ambitious Fire Nation Admiral, Zhao (Aasif Mandvi) and Prince Zuko (Dev Patel), the banished prince of the Fire Nation who seeks to capture Aang to regain his honor.

Directed by	M. Night Shyamalan
Produced by	Frank Marshall Kathleen Kennedy Sam Mercer Scott Aversano
Written by	M. Night Shyamalan (Screenplay) Michael Dante DiMartino Bryan Konietzko (Original Story)
Starring	Noah Ringer Nicola Peltz Jackson Rathbone Dev Patel Shaun Toub Aasif Mandvi Cliff Curtis
Music by	James Newton Howard
Cinematography	Andrew Lesnie
Editing by	Conrad Buff
Studio	Nickelodeon Movies Kennedy/Marshall Blinding Edge Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	July 2, 2010 (2010-07-02)
Country	United States
Language	English

Cast

• Noah Ringer as Aang, who disappeared from public sight a hundred years ago. While he appears to be a 12-year-old boy, he is technically 112, and furthermore is the latest reincarnation of the Avatar. Though he is capable of bending all four elements, at the beginning of the film he has only learned to airbend. It is also his duty to maintain balance in the world, which conflicts with his easy-going, fun-loving personality.
• Nicola Peltz as Katara, a 14-year-old girl of the Southern Water Tribe and its last remaining waterbender. Since the death of her mother, Kya, she has served as the maternal figure in her family, and is no stranger to responsibility despite her young age. She is Aang's good friend and love interest.
• Jackson Rathbone as Sokka a 15-year-old warrior from the Southern Water Tribe and Katara's older brother. He can be condescending, and has no bending powers, but is extremely intelligent and often takes up leadership roles by virtue of coming up with most of the workable plans and tactics. In the animated series, he was also a primary source of comic relief, though this may not be retained in the movie.
• Dev Patel as Prince Zuko, a 16-year-old Fire Nation prince who travels with his uncle. The former heir to the throne, he was exiled by his father, Fire Lord Ozai, and ordered to capture the Avatar (who had not been seen in almost a century, making the assignment a wild goose chase) in order to regain his lost honor. He is the primary antagonist of the film.
• Shaun Toub as Uncle Iroh, Zuko's uncle. He is extremely easy-going and friendly, and often acts as a surrogate father to Zuko. Formerly a great general of the Fire Nation, personal tragedies led to his retirement, and the role of heir-presumptive passed to his younger brother Ozai.
• Aasif Mandvi as Admiral Zhao, a hot-tempered Fire Nation Commander in pursuit of the Avatar. He is Zuko's principal rival.
• Seychelle Gabriel as Princess Yue, a princess and the daughter of the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe. She acts as Sokka's love interest.
• Jessica Andres as Suki, a leader of the young female warriors of Kyoshi Island, the Kyoshi Warriors.
• Cliff Curtis as Fire Lord Ozai, the leader of the Fire Nation. He is the secondary antagonist of the film, and the main antagonist of the series.
• Katherine Houghton as Kanna, the grandmother of Katara and Sokka.