Avatar: The Last Air bender Live-Action Series filming has started in Canada, Vancouver. The original creators of the show are not involved in the live-action series. Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are not involved with the project. However, In 2018 it was announced that both of them are going to be the showrunners of the show. But, both of them have decided to abandon the project. There is no information why they have left the project.
Michael Dante DiMartino explained on his website that he decided to leave the project because he “could not control the creative direction of the show”.
Plot
The plot of the live-action Netflix series will follow the plot of the animated series. The Last Air bender civilization is divided into four nations of Air Nomads, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and the Water Tribe. People of the nations can use the elements of their tribe. Avatar is the only one to use all four elements. Aang is awoken by Katara and Sokka of the water tribe from his “Avatar state”. Avatar will team up with his friends to stop the war caused by the Fire tribe.
Cast
The Last Airbender movie released in 2010 received negative reviews from critics. Albert Kim, the show-runner for Netflix’s upcoming series shared this an interview:
“We’ll be expanding and growing the world, and there will be surprises for existing fans and those new to the tale. But throughout this process, our byword has been “authenticity.” To the story. To the characters. To the cultural influences. Authenticity is what keeps us going, both in front of the camera and behind it a live-action version would establish a new benchmark in representation and bring in a whole new generation of fans. This was a chance to showcase Asian and Indigenous characters as living, breathing people. Not just in a cartoon, but in a world that truly exists, very similar to the one we live in.
- Gordon Cormier as Aang
- Kiawentiio Tarbell as Katara
- Ian Ousley as Sokka
- Dallas Liu as Zuko
Michael DiMartino expressed his thoughts about the casting of the show in an interview back in 2018:
We’re thrilled for the opportunity to helm this live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. We can’t wait to realize Aang’s world as cinematically as we always imagined it to be, and with a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast.”
Fans seem happy by Netflix’s casting choice for the show. Jeremy Zuckerman who created the music for the original series is not coming back for the upcoming project. He said this during an interview;
“No, there was never a contract. It was just like “obviously you’re doing the music”, you know, but now that they’re not there, I don’t know what they’re gonna want. I’m not super pumped that they’re not gonna be there, so I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know what the future holds for that, it’s a big question mark. Yeah, sorry to not have a happier, more straightforward answer.”
Avatar: The Last Air bender Live-Action Series Release Date
Avatar: The Last Air bender Live-Action Series will release in 2023. The filming of the show halted because of the pandemic. There is no news about the release date of the movie yet.
Aliza Fatima is a writer/author at The Panther Tech.