Another studio has announced a live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. What can possibly go wrong?
Netflix has made a deal with the original creators of the Nickelodeon show, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, for a live-action series exclusively on the streaming service. Based on the press release, there seem to be no plans of hiring anyone else, in front of or behind the camera, related to the unsuccessful 2010 film adaptation.
The original animated show premiered in 2005 and ran for three seasons, quickly creating a devoted fan base. Its lead character Aang is the classic Chosen One, leading his friends to overcome the corruption of the Fire Nation. The process is Aang’s training is long and arduous, which makes a series the best way to tell the story. One of the several problems of the 2010 film was that its runtime forced the filmmakers to cut several corners in plot and character development.
Another major issue was the casting of the film. After being accurately accused of whitewashing in the movie, DiMartino and Konietzko pledge on moving forward with a “culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast”.
This is only the first announcement, but it looks like Netflix will not shy away from making this series an epic event. Production will start in 2019.
