The Addition of Europeans

[Leaf]

Now here is what I do not get.

If M. Night Shyamalan wanted to included them for a world view of the Avatar world.

Why didn't he go for a European Fire Nation instead of a European Water Tribe? Surely they fit the mold better.

Unless of course he split up Europe to where the Eastern Countries such as Russian, Scandinavian, and Slavic countries were all the Water Tribe and the West was the Fire Nation.

Is this how he included them?

[Musogato]

I think his reasoning was, "I didn't want to make the movie without her [Nicola Peltz]." (link), and Katara was the most prominent female character for her. He's said in other interviews as well that (essentially) the nation building was an after thought to whoever the main characters were cast as.

[Leaf]

So if Jackson Rathbone had been casted for the role of Zuko, the Fire Nation would have been European? Would Dev had been casted if this were the case? Because Shyamalan pulled the same thing as he did with Nicola with him too. (In b4 Zutara)

[Musogato]

Don't forget, Jesse McCartney was originally suppose to be Zuko. If he didn't end up having scheduling conflicts, he and the rest of the Fire Nation would have been European.

[Leaf]

Jun 29, 2010 0:04:10 GMT -5 Musogato said:

Don't forget, Jesse McCartney was originally suppose to be Zuko. If he didn't end up having scheduling conflicts, he and the rest of the Fire Nation would have been European.

Was he really the first choice for Zuko or was that Ecuadorean guy the first choice as Night said.

[Musogato]

I don't know who else was in the potential line-up for the casting, but Jesse McCartney was the one who was announced with the part along with Ringer, Peltz, and Rathbone. He even did a few interviews on it before he pulled out because his tour dates interfered with the martial arts boot camp.

[Leaf]

The Water Tribe is Eastern European though, right? Shyamalan said the girl had Russian qualities so I assume he went for the Slovaks and Scandinavians. I just remembered that he also made the Fire Nation Mediterranean to feature Italians. Roman Empire confirmed.

[Musogato]

I don't know what Shyamalan wants the Water Tribe to be. While he has made those comments about Peltz, they also filmed the scenes for the Southern Water Tribe in Greenland with the indigenous locals as villager extras (they're the ones you see in the trailers), and according to the movie production notes:

The set was dressed with animal hides, pottery, handmade drums, fish and netting borrowed from the locals. Antique wooden canoes were provided, courtesy of the local Ilulissat museum.

Regarding the Northern Water Tribe...

Messina designed the NWT set with many Islamic, Indian and Turkish influences in mind.

However...

hundreds of men, women and children resembling those of Anglo descent were cast as villagers in the Southern and Northern Water Tribes.

Hm, also found this mentioned in the notes on page 15:

All four of the resulting civilizations emerged as a mixture of ethnicities and diverse cultures—cultural specificity was avoided.

[Leaf]

In other words, he just mixed and matched everyone in their nation?

The sets are incredible tho especially the Southern Tribe.

[Musogato]

Pretty much! Or at least that's how it seems, anyway.

And yeah, the sets are very pretty. It's very much a sad, what-could-have-been for me. Except for the Fire Lord's throne room; that's all sorts of ridiculous mismatching. ^^;

[Lady Juse]

The whole mixing of the nations will show people that racisim does not just have skin tone as a factor. And would make the charaters blend in a little easier.