David Farnor | On 12, Nov 2023

“Always remember who you are…” That’s the sound of Avatar heading to Netflix, and a new trailer gives us a first look at the live-action adaptation of the anime in action.

The story, which first aired in Nickelodeon in 2005, takes place in a world where the four elements have come to divide the population into four nations: Water, Fire, Earth and Air. Special people with the skill to manipulate their element through martial arts are known as “benders”.

This new series will follow the young Air Nomad named Aang, as he reawakens to a world ravaged by war. The four nations of the world once lived in harmony, with the Avatar, master of all four elements, keeping peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the Air Nomads, the first step taken by the firebenders towards conquering the world. Together with Aang’s newfound friends Sokka and Katara, he will embark on an action-packed quest to take his rightful place as the next Avatar – the one who is able to control all four elements.

Gordon Cormier will star as Aang, with Kiawentiio co-starring as waterbender Katara, Ian Ousley as her brother, Sokka, and Dallas Liu as firebending royalty, Zuko. The cast includes Amber Midthunder (Prey) as Princess Yue, Arden Cho (Partner Track) as June and Danny Pudi (Community) as the Mechanist.

You can see them in action on 22nd February 2024, when the series premieres on Netflix. Here’s the trailer:

 

First look: Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender

18th June 2023

Netflix has unveiled the first images and teaser of Avatar: The Last Airbender, giving us a new glimpse of its live-action adaptation of the hit anime.

The story, which first aired in Nickelodeon in 2005, takes place in a world where the four elements have come to divide the population into four nations: Water, Fire, Earth and Air. Special people with the skill to manipulate their element are known as “benders”. The story follows Aang, the last Airbender and also the titular Avatar, who is able to control all four elements through martial arts. Prophesied to bring balance to the world, he must defeat Fire Lord Ozai and end the Fire Nation’s raging war.

Gordon Cormier will star as Aang, with Kiawentiio co-starring as waterbender Katara, Ian Ousley as her brother, Sokka, and Dallas Liu as firebending royalty, Zuko. New images of the quartet were unveiled by Netflix this weekend.

They’ll be joined on screen by Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) as Fire Lord Ozai, Amber Midthunder (Prey) as Princess Yue, Arden Cho (Partner Track) as June, and Danny Pudi (Community) as the Mechanist.

You can see them all in action in 2024, when the series premieres on Netflix.

 

Daniel Dae Kim to star in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender

7th November 2021

Daniel Dae Kim has joined the cast of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender series.

The live-action project was announced back in 2018, promising a new take on the animated series that first aired on Nickelodeon in 2005. Widely hailed as one of the best animations of recent decades, winning several Annie Awards, it takes place in a world where the four elements have come to divide the population into four nations: Water, Fire, Earth and Air. Special people with the skill to manipulate their element are known as “benders”. The story follows Aang, the last Airbender and also the titular Avatar, who is able to control all four elements through martial arts. Prophesied to bring balance to the world, he must defeat Fire Lord Ozai and end the Fire Nation’s raging war.

The project initially had original creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko on board as showrunners and executive producers, but last year the duo departed the production. Now, however, the show is moving ahead once more, and Daniel Dae Kim is a key step forwards: he’ll be playing the part of the villainous Fire Lord Ozai, the leader of the Fire Nation, who believes he must finish a war started by his ancestors and conquer all the nations under his rule, a worldview that puts daunting pressure on his son, Prince Zuko.

Voiced by Mark Hamill in the animated series and played by Cliff Curtis in M Night Shyamalan’s live-action film, Kim will now step into the character’s shoes.

Kim is no stranger to streaming, having co-starred in Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe and inked a first-look deal with Amazon Studios – a deal that includes a heist flick with Randall Park and a comedy series, Shoot the Moon, with Ken Jeong. Kim is also no stranger to The Last Airbender, having voiced the character of General Fong in the animated series and Hiroshi Sato in the animated follow-up series, The Legend of Korra.

Kim joins the previously announced Gordon Cormer as Aang, the fearless and fun-loving 12-year-old who just happens to be the Avatar, master of all four elements and the keeper of balance and peace in the world, Kiawentiio as waterbender Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Katara’s sardonic and resourceful 16-year-old brother, and Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko.
 

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Netflix unveils cast for live-action series

14th August 2021

Netflix has found the cast for its live-action take on Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The live-action project was announced back in 2018, promising a new take on the animated series that first aired on Nickelodeon in 2005. Widely hailed as one of the best animations of recent decades, winning several Annie Awards, it takes place in a world where the four elements have come to divide the population into four nations: Water, Fire, Earth and Air. Special people with the skill to manipulate their element are known as “benders”. The story follows Aang, the last Airbender and also the titular Avatar, who is able to control all four elements through martial arts. Prophesied to bring balance to the world, he must defeat Fire Lord Ozai and end the Fire Nation’s raging war.

The series initially had original creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko on board as showrunners and executive producers, but last year the duo departed the production. Now, however, the show is moving ahead once more, with Netflix unveiling its lead cast.

Gordon Cormer will star as Aang, a fearless and fun-loving 12-year-old who just happens to be the Avatar, master of all four elements and the keeper of balance and peace in the world. An airbending prodigy, Aang is a reluctant hero, struggling to deal with the burden of his duties while still holding on to his adventurous and playful nature.

He will be joined by Kiawentiio as Katara, a determined and hopeful waterbender, the last in her small village. Though only fourteen, she’s already endured great personal tragedy, which has held her back from rising to her true potential, though it’s never dimmed her warm and caring spirit.

Also announcing is Ian Ousley as Sokka, Katara’s sardonic and resourceful 16-year-old brother. Outwardly confident, even brash, he takes his responsibility as the leader of his tribe seriously, despite his inner doubts over his warrior skills… doubts that he masks with his wit and deadpan sense of humour.

Finally, Dallas Liu will play Zuko, a skilled firebender and the intense and guarded Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Currently roaming the world in exile, he’s on an obsessive quest to capture the Avatar because he believes that is the only way to reclaim his life and live up to the demands of his cruel and controlling father, the Fire Lord.

They will all be series regulars, with Michael Goi, Roseanne Liang and Jabbar Raisani also on board as directors.

Perhaps most intriguing of all, though, is the confirmation that Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow, Nikita) has stepped in as the new showrunner of the series.

Kim said in a blog post this week that he originally became a fan of the show thanks to his daughter.

“I began watching along with her with the thought of helping her understand what was going on. But my Dad-splainy duties quickly fell by the wayside as I found myself sucked into the world and characters, and soon we were watching side by side, both of us swept away by the singular mix of action, humour, and epic storytelling.

“It also wasn’t lost on me that this was a world that drew from Asian cultures and legend, which is a rarity to this day and something I appreciated as an Asian-American father. That my daughter was able to see characters who looked like her on screen was more than just entertaining. It was a gift.”

He also said that the live-action adaptation appealed because it can bring the story to life in a “real and visceral way we’ve never seen before”, the series can “reimagine a story that had originally been told in self-contained half-hour episodes as an ongoing serialized narrative” and that “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,” he added.

Exec-producers include Dan Lin (The Lego Movie, Aladdin) and Lindsey Liberatore (Walker) for Rideback and Michael Goi (Swamp Thing, American Horror Story), with Roseanne Liang on board as co-exec-producer.

 

Avatar: The Last Airbender creators leave Netflix series

13th August 2020

The two creators of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender have departed the series.

The live-action project was announced back in 2018, promising a new take on the animated series that first aired on Nickelodeon in 2005. Widely hailed as one of the best animations of recent decades, winning several Annie Awards, it takes place in a world where the four elements have come to divide the population into four nations: Water, Fire, Earth and Air. Special people with the skill to manipulate their element are known as “benders”. The story follows Aang, the last Airbender and also the titular Avatar, who is able to control all four elements through martial arts. Prophesied to bring balance to the world, he must defeat Fire Lord Ozai and end the Fire Nation’s raging war.

The show was notably adapted for the big screen by M. Night Shyamalan, but with mixed success. Netflix’s plan for another live-action adaptation came with two promising things: original creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who were on board as showrunners and executive producers.

This week, however, Michael and Bryan revealed that they are no longer involved with the series.

“Many of you have been asking me for updates about the Avatar live-action Netflix series,” DiMartino wrote in a blog post on Wednesday. “I can finally tell you that I am no longer involved with the project. In June of this year, after two years of development work, Bryan Konietzko and I made the difficult decision to leave the production.”

“Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series,” he explained. “And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not go as we had hoped.”

“Things happen. Productions are challenging,” he continued. “Unforeseen events arise. Plans have to change. And when those things have happened at other points during my career, I try to be like an Air Nomad and adapt. I do my best to go with the flow, no matter what obstacle is put in my way. But even an Air Nomad knows when it’s time to cut their losses and move on.”

“Who knows? Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good,” he added. “It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying. But what I can be certain about is that whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make.”

Variety reports that the series is expected to still move forward at Netflix without the pair.

 

Netflix orders live-action series of Avatar: The Last Airbender

19th September 2018

Netflix has ordered a live-action series based on Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The original series, which first aired on Nickelodeon in 2005, is widely hailed as one of the best animations of recent decades, winning several Annie Awards, Genesis Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. The series was famously adapted for the big screen by M. Night Shyamalan, starting Dev Patel, but the movie was met with a very negative reception. Now, Netflix is having another stab at a live action take on the fantastical tale.

It takes place in a world where the four elements have come to divide the population into four nations: Water, Fire, Earth and Air. Special people with the skill to manipulate their element are known as “benders”. The story follows Aang, the last Airbender and also the titular Avatar, who is able to control all four elements through martial arts. Prophesied to bring balance to the world, he must defeat Fire Lord Ozai and end the Fire Nation’s raging war.

Produced with Nickelodeon, show has one special weapon of its own: original creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who will serve as showrunners and executive producers.

“We’re thrilled for the opportunity to helm this live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender,” say Konietzko and DiMartino. “We can’t wait to realize Aang’s world as cinematically as we always imagined it to be.”

After a slew of recent projects and remakes have been criticised for whitewashing stories, they also note that it will have “a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast”.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build upon everyone’s great work on the original animated series and go even deeper into the characters, story, action, and world-building”, they add. “Netflix is wholly dedicated to manifesting our vision for this retelling, and we’re incredibly grateful to be partnering with them.”

Production on the series will begin in 2019. The first piece of concept art by John Staub is pictured above.

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