Dev Patel, currently lighting up the screen as one of the kids in Slumdog Millionaire, has nabbed a lead role in M Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender.
Patel’s joining a cast that includes relative unknowns Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Twilight’s Jackson Rathbone and Jessica Jade Andres.
The Slumdog star will play a member of the Fire nation, who must shove aside his irresponsible ways to stop his tribe enslaving the other nations – Earth, Air and Water.
And while it’s good news for him (unless you don’t count being cast in a recent Shyamalan film as good news, which we can understand), it’s bad news for musician/thesp Jesse McCartney, who has had to give up the lead.
"Jesse had tour dates that conflicted with a boot camp I always hold on my films, and where the actors here have to train for martial arts," Shyamalan tells Variety.
Apparently Patel was on his radar too: “He was already one of the guys I was interested in. Then I saw Slumdog Millionaire, and the kid just grew in my eyes.” Hhhm… we bet Shyamalan loved Skins.
[Source: Variety]
Can Shyamalan redeem himself after The Happening? And should he be trying with a cartoon adaptation?
Comments
Ray Peterson
Feb 2nd 2009, 20:12
Can he redeem himself after The Happening? What about redeeming himself after Lady in the Water, The Village and Signs?
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