At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix added Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender to the platform, bringing some much-needed nostalgia to the month. Almost a year after Avatar’s re-introduction to pop culture, Nickelodeon has announced Avatar Studios, a portion of Nickelodeon that focuses solely on creating Avatar: the Last Airbender content and expanding the franchise.
The first announced project is an animated film. Not much is known about the upcoming film except that it will start production later this year. And the original creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, are spearheading the project as heads of Avatar Studios.
This is not the first time that DiMartino and Konietzko have been involved in an Avatar movie. In 2018, Netflix announced the two were working on a live-action movie with the streaming platform. However, in 2020, DiMartino and Konietzko stepped away from the project due to creative differences with the company.
An Avatar: The Last Airbender movie is not a new concept either. In 2010 a live-action film was released in theaters. The 2010 movie, by M. Night Shyamalan, attempted to include all three seasons of the animated show in a 103-minute movie, all the while successfully whitewashing most of the characters and using bad CGI. The movie received immense criticism and has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 5%. While DiMartino and Konietzko have expressed that they had no involvement in the film, some fans are still traumatized from the movie and weary of the new, upcoming films.
With Shyamalan’s letdown, and Netflix’s movie still up in the air, it may be hard to allow yourself proper excitement when thinking of Avatar Studios’ version. If you’re skeptical of the movie, or just excited about new content, here are some ideas to jumpstart your interest.
The cast has not yet been announced. Nonetheless, the familiar faces of Team Avatar may appear in a film, based on the comics, that serves as a sequel to the show. In 2012, Dark Horse Comics published six stories with DiMartino and Konietzko on the creative team. The graphic novels created an extension of the original story, picking up where the show left off.
Or the film could take on a new storyline where some reprised roles from Avatar: The Last Airbender are incorporated. The 2012 spinoff show, The Legend of Korra, introduced new characters to the Avatar-universe while incorporating the known faces of Zuko, Katara, and Toph Beifong.
The film could also provide a glimpse of the life of an Avatar before Aang, such as fan-favorite Kyoshi.
The film could also be an introduction to an entirely new timeline and new set of characters. The Avatar-universe is big, and a new film riding off the show’s current hype may be the perfect way to expand the story and explore characters previously unknown.
With a show as great as Avatar: The Last Airbender, it’s challenging to produce relating content that captures the same magic. However, with the original creators on board, and the high expectations from fans of all ages, I’m sure the end product will be something worth keeping an eye on. The movie is set to be released on Paramount+ and in theaters.