MTV Movies Blog spoke with ‘Last Airbender’ director M. Night Shyamalan to discuss the spirituality, family, and the sequels of the live action Avatar franchise.
“I wrote the first [movie], which I’m just finishing and polishing up – that’s what I was doing this morning,” grinned M. Night Shyamalan this week when we caught up with him to talk about “The Last Airbender,” his upcoming film based on the hugely-successful Nickelodeon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
While making a film for a younger audience is a big change for the man behind such thrillers as “The Sixth Sense” and “The Happening,” he told us that the gig is a great chance to stretch some new muscles. “What’s great about doing something like that is that let’s say your instinct is to distill me down into three characteristics: thrillers, scary, twist. Let’s just say, ‘Oh, that’s what he does,’” Shyamalan explained. “Then when they come see ‘Last Airbender’ – which has none of those three things in there – and yet, you’ll be able to tell in 30 seconds that I directed it. Now you’ll have to go, ‘Wait, I realize there are other things that define him. [Things] I knew, but was never really acknowledging them on the same level as these other characteristics.’”
According to the Indian-born, Philly-raised writer/director, his “Avatar” is far from kid’s stuff; in fact, there’s plenty of adult themes to capture the attention of fans of all ages.
“The spirituality, the centering on relationships and family, on inherent optimism. Things like that, you’ll see,” he explained of the series, which tells the story of Aang, a 112-year-old monk who appears to be 12 years old, and can control the elements. “It seems like an odd fit [for me], but when you see the movie, literally, it’s full of Buddhist philosophy, it has all this stuff. All the elemental stuff that really lends itself to…almost a Hindu kind of connotations; there’s a lot of Hinduism in it. So suddenly you’ll see those kind of things in the [future] movies, and I think it’ll reflect really well and make the relationship more accurate and more complex, which will be a great thing.”
And yes, you read that last quote correctly. Although Shyamalan has held off on re-visiting hits like “Sixth Sense” and “Unbreakable,” he is eager to break into the sequel business with future “Avatar” flicks.
“I’m supposed to write the second one this Fall when we’re prepping,” he said, noting that the first “Avatar” will hit theaters in July 2010. “I don’t want it to feel like ‘Oh, the first one made a lot of money, let’s make another one.’ It’s not that at all. This is a story told over three movies. A very clear, Shakespearean story that’s told over three movies. And for me, that’s when a franchise works the best, like ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ It’s when it’s all plotted out in advance [that sequels work], and this is the clarity of what we’re doing.”
Tags: aang, airbender, avatar, buddhism, hinduism, m. night, shyamalan
April 16, 2009 at 6:30 am |
BUT NO ONE wants shyalaman to TRANSFORM IMAGE with the last airbender… the only thing that i can agree with him on is the adding of more adult themes. but everything else should be left the same, i mean avatar is already the best how it is already esoteric and continuous and whatnot, but shyalaman is known to sometimes put too much layers in a film so as to make people burn out while trying to make sense of it therefore hate it, therefore hate him!
but then again as i said i agree with his inclusion of more adult themes, one part i didnt like in the cartoon was when aang hesitated to kill the firelord just for the little kids’ sakes. Yes, i know this is a big part of the story, and u would think that i am contradicting myself by wanting to change this part, but it is the only part that i would have no problem with if he changed it. everything else, like character personalities, fighting styles, and the carefully sculptured storyline (including those mad camera angles, motifs, colour themes, lightings and whatnot (from the cartoon!)) that are freakn cool should stay. the. same.
July 2, 2009 at 10:20 pm |
Well, I think the reason they invented Energy Bending was not only to finish the story, but to create a new one. You see, with Energy Bending, not only can Aang take away bending, from, say, the Fire Lord… But he can also GIVE bending to nonbenders– say, a group of nonbenders who just so happen to live in the northern air temple?
If Aang were to give airbending to all of them, then the cycle would be restored, and the world of avatar would continue. This is most likely the REAL reason they created energy bending in the first place.
Now, I am not trying to say that I DON’T want to see the firelord die, for indeed I too wanted him to die. But I still think energy bending is essential to the future of avatar as well as to this movie. Now, we need not worry about that yet, seeing as how those will be discussed after they finish filming the second movie (most likely in late 2010 or early 2011). For now, I have high hopes for this movie. M. Night seems to be taking this very seriously (as you can tell with the detailed sets and the MARVELOUS choice for music composer), and as a fan of avatar I will try my best to give this movie a fair chance before I mark it as good or bad.
May 25, 2009 at 4:19 am |
last airbender sounds fragmentented
July 8, 2009 at 10:45 am |
Lol .. Im sure Night will make good of this movie . Coz like Koto says he does seem to be taking it seriously .. And doesn’t he have Bryan And Mike helping him in the movie ? To me that kinda rules out the chance of him turning the movie in the wrong direction .. And wait . I read that there is another Avatar show they don’t plan to have Aang or Katara or Sokka or any of the old gang in it .. And it’ll be like hundreds of years after Avatar The Last Airbender so if they do it’ll kinda be sad .. Kinda hard to think of the show without Aang and the gang ..
October 13, 2009 at 5:28 pm |
It’s not like Aang wussed out and didn’t kill the firelord for the kid’s sake. It was a testament to him overcoming what seemed like a desperate situation. Instead of defying his beliefs about all life being sacred, he was able to carve a new path, with a new ability. The entire show was about being strong enough to make your destiny, and Aang had the will to overcome the firelord without sacrificing a part of himself, which seemed to everyone, (including his past lives), to be an impossible option.
July 2, 2010 at 10:22 pm |
I’m soo excited now for another movie, despite the stubborn-egoed critics and truly non-avatar-fan skeptics. i think this will give a whole new spiritual, majestic, and mystical side to Avatar. They’re showing how Avatar isn’t just a show, but more a relation to the actual ancient asian and worldly spirit. Some people are thinking far too literal when it comes to the cartoon and live-action comparison. This will be great, I just know it. Ignore the critics reviews and ridiculous opinions, every Avatar fan will be dying to see more of their favorite show. BE SURE TO SPREAD THE WORD OF SEQUEL NEWS! Lots of people I met who’ve seen the movie like the changes. The first movie made bending and power seem more natural. Ex; the many forms and moves to bend elements (that people complain saying they’re “slow” [false] ) show how great and powerful controlling the elements can be for the gifted (main) characters.
July 3, 2010 at 2:54 am |
Agreed. The reason for the Firelord, or at the time: Pheonix King, not being killed in the show is probably not for kids’ sake. I mean, in how many “kid” cartoons/animation do you really see two kids kissing? Not many, especially on the nicktoon channel. My point is that there is definately a different reason why he hadn’t died. Not many really know but we’re all free to make up reasons of our own =D
July 10, 2010 at 5:21 pm |
i’ve seen the movie and the only thing that kept my interest was anng. i like when a story stays consistent with the original characters, when they change due to whatever, the turn out is usually confusing or a failed experiment i.e. batman. when i saw that the different tribes weren’t asian like the cartoon or an all asian cast like the cartoon, it sucked all the oriental mystic from the original storyline. and gives credit to those from another walk of life. i don’t eat tacos at a pizza store.
July 16, 2010 at 11:23 am |
I dont think that not killing the fire lord was for the little kids sake, it was to show one of the reasons why Aang didn’t want to be the Avatar. Also know he can give some willing people the power to become airbenders. Also it shows a bit of history in there world.
July 18, 2010 at 2:11 am |
Unbelievable, coherent people exist! I watched the show and like many i found the story to be incomplete. So many things the show left out that will make sense later in the sequels to come. No more unexplained combustion man, since they are bending energy from within now. No more rush job avatar training since they extended the fall of Sozens Comet to 3 years. No more Aang murdering hundreds of people at the end of the movie along side a holy spirit since they stuck with the idea that kids, no monks for that matter should not take a life or lives in terms of the show. You re watch it in tell me aang didn’t kill those people. I know, i know, he didn’t kill the fire lord but seriously. He constantly kills people in that sugar coated kids cartoon way.
August 22, 2010 at 11:10 pm |
I thought the movie was nice but I was also a bit disappointed that the main characters weren’t asian. The choice of indian/subcontinental actors for the fire nation was a good decision I think. My kids were disappointed that the Uncle was not funny.. although the film did have allusions to his funny habits and sayings from the cartoon like him drinking tea and him suggesting to his nephew to go out with girls.