here's my letter and pics!
Mr. Mark Bakshi:
For years my family and I have enjoyed watching the Nickelodeon series “Avatar: the Last Airbender.” When the series came to a close this past summer we were left wondering if the world of Avatar would ever reappear. Then the news came out about director M. Night Shyamalan’s plans to begin developing a live action trilogy about the series, and our excitement returned.
The beauty about the series was that it depicted a world similar to our own. The world of Avatar was filled with different cultures and it demonstrated the many challenges of living together peacefully. While I in no way believe that the fictional world could possibly be perfectly replicated in real life, I was greatly anticipating who would be chosen to represent the characters that I have grown to admire.
When Entertainment Weekly released the names of who had been chosen, I was more than just a little disappointed. A feeling came over me that can only be described as betrayal. The problem lies with a completely Caucasian line up for the uniquely ethnic characters from the series. The world of Avatar had a wondrous quality and I fear that this misrepresentation will doom the project.
I am curious as to whether or not you have watched the series in its entirety? I am not of Asian descent, but I do understand the different Asian cultures. I have been religiously watching the series for years and I am at a loss as to how you can honestly and with any dignity cast a completely Caucasian cast to represent the Asian and Native cultures that are proudly portrayed in the series.
Nickelodeon’s series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” has a tremendous fan base that spans across the globe; more so than any other series released by the company. We fans fully supported what the series displayed and released to the public. I myself have spent hundreds of dollars on Avatar merchandise, and am planning on increasing that amount to add to my collection. I regret to say that unless the movie cast is adapted to accurately represent the different cultural aspects of the fictional characters I will not support the trilogy.
I hope that a reconsideration of the cast will result from the letters being sent from the fans. I understand that your task is not an easy one, but I do believe that your actions regarding the cast will directly affect the success of the trilogy. Thank you for taking the time to read about my concerns.
Sincerely,
Me : )~
