“I shouldn’t even bring it up”: Dev Patel Stayed Away from Blockbusters After Miserable Avatar: The Last Airbender Experience That He Couldn’t Shake Off
M. Night Shyamalan’s live-action adaptation of the beloved animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender offered a significant learning experience for Dev Patel. Despite high expectations, the movie was met with widespread criticism from audiences and critics alike.A
Dev Patel, who portrayed a significant character in the film, shared the sentiments of disappointment, publicly expressing regret for his involvement in the project.
Dev Patel expressed his dissatisfaction over his working experience surrounding the green screen and special effects in this movie. The experience catalyzed him to seek out more fulfilling and artistically rewarding roles rather than relying on artificial environments and CGI-heavy scenes.
Dev Patel’s Regrettable Role in M. Night Shyamalan’s Avatar: The Last Airbender
Based on the Nickelodeon animated series, M. Night Shyamalan‘s Avatar: The Last Airbender earned a reputation as one of the worst movies ever made. This film is also a stark example of commercial and critical failure. In an interview, the actor Dev Patel even shared his unpleasant working experience on this film.
Reflecting on his experience, Patel openly expressed his disappointment, revealing that his time on set only offered him dissatisfaction. His disillusionment was so profound that he made a conscious decision to decline numerous offers of major Hollywood blockbusters.
Dev Patel told The New York Times,
“I shouldn’t even bring it up. but do a quick IMDb search and you’ll know what it is. I didn’t really flourish in that position.”
The actor acknowledged that The Last Airbender is one of the worst movies he’s ever done. Dev Patel portrayed the role of Prince Zuko in the adaptation that was criticized not only for his performance but also for contributing to Hollywood’s persistent issue of Whitewashing.
The casting choices sparked controversy and added to the film’s already tarnished reputation. Patel’s performance in The Last Airbender even earned him a nomination for a Razzie Award as Worst Supporting Actor, further cementing the film’s status as a critical flop.
Dev Patel’s Reservations on Green Screen Work After The Last Airbender
Dev Patel’s difficulties on the set of Avatar: The Last Airbender extended beyond mere casting controversies. The actor faced the daunting challenge of working with green screens and special effects in this project.
In a candid interview, Patel openly acknowledged how challenging it was for him to work in such an unfamiliar environment. Furthermore, Patel has expressed his deep admiration for those who do a lot of green screen work, particularly citing Marvel actors as examples.
Dev Patel told The New York Times,
“I take my hat off to all those incredible actors that do Marvel movies where it’s, like, big, noisy fans and green screen and tennis balls and whatnot.”
However, the actor doesn’t feel any desire to do it again. Yet, despite Patel’s reservations, Avatar: The Last Airbender marked one of the largest projects of his career.
As per Box Office Mojo, with an impressive production budget of $150 million, the film aimed for cinematic grandeur. However, its commercial success fell short of expectations, grossing only $319.7 million worldwide, solidifying the film’s status as both a commercial and critical failure.
