‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Cast Weigh in on M. Night Shyamalan’s Original Live-Action Adaptation: “A Good Way to See What We Don’t Want to Do”

Netflix‘s new Avatar: The Last Airbender series is not the first time the beloved animated story, which ran on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2007, has been adapted into live-action. Of course, there is the notorious 2010 feature film directed by M. Night Shyamalan, regarded by some as perhaps one of the worst films ever made.

The new series — which again tells the story of the four nations of water, earth, fire and air as young Air Nomad Aang (played by Gordon Cormier) reawakens to take his place as the next Avatar and save the world after the fire nation attacks — seeks to rectify that.

At the show’s Los Angeles premiere at the Egyptian Theater on Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter asked members of the cast what they thought of the first live-action attempt, and if they took any lessons away for their own adaptation.

Kiawentiio, who plays Katara, shared perhaps the strongest opinion of the evening, noting, “I did watch it once and as a fan I think alongside all other fans I was disappointed. But I think it’s a good way to see what we don’t want to do. This cartoon has this amazing storyline, we tried to give it the live-action it deserves.”

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who plays the wise and kindly Uncle Iroh, had similar thoughts. “I did watch it, you know? It’s been dragged through the mud a lot, and I get it, as a fan I understand it. The casting is something that didn’t sit well with me either and it was painful, in that sense,” he explained of Shyamalan’s film, which saw several white actors in the originally Asian roles. “Not that the actors were bad, I’m not saying that. Nobody sets off to do a bad adaptation, nobody sets off to offend an entire fan base, but I think decisions were made that didn’t quite sit well.”

“Now knowing more and being in the age that we’re at right now in terms of representation, diversity and inclusivity, we were able to inhabit the world properly in that sense,” the actor continued, stressing the fact that the show’s producers were insistent on an all-Asian cast.

Series heavyweight Daniel Dae Kim, playing the villain Fire Lord Ozai, had a different perspective. “I did see it. I have a lot of respect for M. Night Shyamalan. He assembled a great group of actors, many of whom are household names today,” he shared. “I think there’s a time and a place for every kind of iteration of a show…This is the right Avatar for right now.” 

Avatar: The Last Airbender starts streaming on Netflix Feb. 22.