In 2008, M. Night Shyamalan, a film director, cast 12-year-old Tae Kwon Do practitioner Noah Ringer as Aang in the film adaptation of the series, "The Last Airbender". The casting of a white actor in the role of Aang (as well as a primarily Caucasian cast) in the Asian-influenced "Avatar" universe triggered negative reactions from some fans marked by accusations of racism, a letter-writing campaign, and a protest outside of a Philadelphia casting call for movie extras. The casting decisions were also negatively received by several critics who stated that the original casting call expressed a preference for Caucasian actors over others.