In 2010, director M. Night Shyamalan cast 12-year-old Tae Kwon Do practitioner Noah Ringer as Aang in the film adaptation of the series, "The Last Airbender". His name in the film is pronounced "Ong" instead of "Ang". The casting of a presumed 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. A counter-movement was spawned in response by other fans who believed the casting was appropriate. 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. Noah Ringer later identified himself to "Entertainment Weekly" as an American Indian.