I See Bending People: Avatar + Night = ?!?!?!?!

Just thought I'd add my two cents worth to the rumors flying about the Avatar Movie.

First off, the thought of a live action version is tricky to me. There is a lot at stake for the first movie, and the audience will either love it or hate it, a reaction that is completely dependent on the quality of the actors chosen and effects put into it. As far as actors go, I am skittish. The voice actors make the characters; their vocal mannerisms are what bring them to life, and that could go horribly awry when different actors are picked. (But both Elicia and I feel that the voice actor of Zuko could easily play him on screen; Rufio Rufio Roo-fee-oh! (Heh, ever since we figured out they were the same person I always think that when I hear the character.) But I do get that, unless the movie covers a brand new story, live action is the most feasible route to follow in bringing Avatar to the big screen. But as Eragon has proven, not every modern-day epic adaptation is destined for success; I hope The-Powers-That-Be are treading very carefully on this one.

Secondly, of all the directors available to shoot this, their first pick out of the gate is M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN?!?!? Don't get me wrong, Night is a terrific director in spite of his current hang-ups, and I get that he wants a franchise, but AVATAR? While I think he could bring great depth and play up the darker, more poignant themes of the show brilliantly, the joy of Avatar (besides seeing Zuko angst) is its humor; is Night's usually subdued playfullness of his movies up to the task? If he ends up being the sole writer on this, the answer will be a thudding, resounding no. But all is not lost; Alfonso Cuaron brought a dark and twisty Harry Potter splendidly to life, so there is a chance the same type of gambling is at work here. And heaven knows Night could use the job.

It's possible, however, that another director will eventually take the helm if the project gets at all delayed. The question is, who? Personally, I would love to see Peter Jackson direct it. Elicia and I were talking about this, and we thought that Jackson and Night should switch projects, swap The Lovely Bones for Avatar, but that will never happen as Jackson is too far into making Bones. But it would have been a fair trade, fitting the director's individual styles perfectly.

And for the love of all that is holy, if the production manager for the film is at all sane he will hire WETA or a similar shop for the props. Each nation in Avatar has its own style and history, and WETA would help provide a realistic gravitas that a live action Avatar will need. I almost drooled while watching Narnia, and that kind of detail would help bring Avatar closer to glorious life.

In short, this news is interesting indeed, and the bold choice in Night as director will make or break the movie, and all future Avatar adaptations. I will be watching with much intrigue to see if he is ultimately up to the task.