I was actually considering writing up a piece for today asking why people are calling Dev Patel a “breakthrough actor” based solely on his performance in Slumdog Millionaire. Then Variety has to go and squash that story before I ever start it as they report Patel has joined M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender for Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Films.
Patel will be joining Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone and Jessica Jade Andres as production on the film begins in mid-March in Greenland. Patel replaces Jesse McCartney who apparently is busy with a music career and doesn’t have time for movies.
“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 said. Patel was “already one of the guys I was interested in. Then I saw Slumdog Millionaire, and the kid just grew in my eyes,” he said.
The film is based on the Nick TV series and 12-year-old Ringer will play Aang, the film’s lead, who is the last of a race of people who can manipulate the elements of air. Patel will play Zuko, a member of the Fire Nation. Peltz plays the Water Tribe rep Katara, while Andres is the Earth Kingdom’s representative, Suki.
Shyamalan is hoping to turn the film into a trilogy, but will have to wait to see how the first film turns out as it is set to hit theaters on July 2, 2010.
