Dev Patel
News

Dev Patel, best known - or only known, really - for his role in Slumdog Millionaire, has been cast as Zuko in the M. Night Shyamalan-directed live-action adaptation of The Last Airbender.

According to Variety, the actor will take on the role initially accepted by Jesse McCartney, who backed out to conflicts with his tour schedule.

Patel joins newcomer Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz (Deck the Halls) and Jackson Rathbone (Twilight) in the The Last Airbender.

Its production begins in mid-March, with a July 2010 release date scheduled.

Dev Patel is an unknown actor that's about to make it big.

He's the star of Slumdog Millionaire, the critically acclaimed movie that opens in select cities today. Below, Patel responds to a question from ComingSoon.net about the role he plays in the film:

Not being from Mumbai, were you able to relate to Jamal's journey at all?
I think everybody can relate to that. I mean, everyone's drawn to that whole underdog story I think, and he's just a great character, his rise through adversity. He's going to do anything to get this girl. He gets sh*t from everyone, he's tortured, he's interrogated, but he's got a strong sense of destiny, and he'll move mountains to get to her, literally if he has to. To get to her, he's literally one-track minded, that is his aim in life, his mission, and it's a brilliant story. For him, 20 million rupees isn't the prize, it's the girl. For a boy coming from the slums, it's even more awesome. Where a lot of people in that situation are, money is a big dream for them, but that's not his dream.

Dev Patel (left) stars in Slumdog Millionaire.