The movie Dev Patel admits was “one of the worst”
There are some TV programmes that have birthed more acting talent than any other movie. The trend started back in 1999 with the release of Freaks and Geeks, starring Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini and Jason Segal and continues to this day, with HBO’s Euphoria thrusting the likes of Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer and Jacob Elordi into the limelight. But sandwiched between these two shows was the British series Skins, which gave rise to Nicholas Hoult, Daniel Kaluuya and Dev Patel, among others.
Patel, the Oscar-nominated actor, enjoyed a whirlwind of success shortly after his stint on the TV series from 2007 to 2008, being immediately cast in the Danny Boyle ‘Best Picture’ winner Slumdog Millionaire. Although the star missed out on a nod for ‘Best Leading Actor’, the film, which won eight Oscars in total, provided the perfect platform for Patel to thrive in the contemporary industry.
Naturally, as many actors tend to do after they find success on the indie circuit, Patel looked to a big-budget Hollywood project for his next movie. Fatefully, the film in question was M Night Shyamalan’s adaptation of the beloved anime The Last Airbender, with Patel featuring as the anti-hero Prince Zuko alongside Noah Ringer’s Aang, Nicola Peltz Beckham’s Katara and Cliff Curtis’ Fire Lord Ozai.
But, the movie was a notorious failure, becoming known as one of the most disappointing films of all time in the opinion of cinephiles.
Speaking to The New York Times about his lack of blockbuster experience following the release of The Last Airbender, Patel stated, “Maybe it’s a fear of how I would fit into that world,” making special reference to “one of the worst movies I’ve ever done”. “
I shouldn’t even bring it up,” he added, “but do a quick IMDb search and you’ll know what it is”, with it not taking much to realise that he is talking about Shyamalan’s failed film.
Winning five Razzie Awards for ‘Worst Picture’, ‘Worst Screenplay’ and ‘Worst Director’, the film was slammed by critics and audiences alike.
Speaking about the failure of both The Last Airbender and 2013’s After Earth, the director told The Hollywood Reporter: “All of us go through moments in our lives where we want to be accepted. We get tired of the fight and having to defend who we are…So I made a genuine effort to join the system, but I learned that the special thing that makes me happy was hard to do within that system. It was so wonderful to have that opportunity, but there are so many people who are so much better at that kind of storytelling than I am”.
Take a look at the trailer for the tragic Hollywood flick below.
