Avatar’s Future Explained: New Last Airbender Movie & TV Shows

The world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra is expanding in a big way thanks to the establishment of Avatar Studios, a new Nickelodeon division created to produce movies and TV shows relating to the Avatar universe. Avatar Studios will produce new films and shows for Nickelodeon, streaming service Paramount+, third-party platforms, and theatrical releases. Avatar co-creators and executive producers Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will run the studio as co-chief creative officers.

Avatar: The Last Airbender ran from 2005 to 2008, following Avatar Aang on his journey to master all four elements and defeat Fire Lord Ozai. In 2012, DiMartino and Konietzko followed up the original series with The Legend of Korra, which took place 70 years after the events of The Last Airbender and focused on Aang’s successor, Korra. Both series have launched spin-off comics taking place after the shows’ conclusions.

The future of the Avatar franchise is open and full of possibilities. There are few details about Avatar Studios’ first projects, but the launch of this division means that fans of the original shows will get to see more of the Avatar universe. On top of Avatar Studios, Netflix is also continuing with its live-action adaptation of The Last Airbender, meaning that there will be no shortage of Avatar content in the years to come.

Avatar Studios & New Last Airbender Movie

Avatar Studios was announced alongside Paramount+, the upgraded version of CBS All Access. The division, jointly run by DiMartino and Konietzko, will create “original content spanning animated series and movies,” all set in the world established in The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. The studio’s first project will be a movie, which Paramount plans to give a theatrical release. There are no plot details yet, but the film is expected to go into production later in 2021.

This is not the first time a Last Airbender film has been attempted: M. Night Shyamalan’s 2010 live-action The Last Airbender movie was panned by critics and fans alike, and it did not receive a sequel. DiMartino and Konietzko were not involved in the making of that movie, but they will be supervising this upcoming film, which bodes better for it being true to the world and characters of the original series.

New Avatar TV Shows Are Coming

While a movie is the first project to be announced by Avatar Studios, the studio will still be making television shows based in the Avatar universe. Nothing has been said about what these television shows could entail, but there is quite a bit of source material to draw from. The Dark Horse Avatar comics could easily be adapted into a series. They tell several compelling stories, from what happened to Zuko’s mother to how the new spirit portal affects Republic City. Avatar Studios could also adapt F.C. Yee and DiMartino’s novel The Rise of Kyoshi, which tells the story of Kyoshi’s beginnings as the Avatar.

However, the statement about Avatar Studios stresses that it will be producing “original” content, so there’s a high chance that these upcoming shows will showcase entirely new stories instead of adapting already existing work. These new stories could range from Aang and Korra’s next adventures to the lives of other Avatars – either previous ones or the next Avatar in the cycle. The world of Avatar is so vast and full of lore that new series could come from even the most unexpected of places.

Netflix’s Live-Action Avatar TV Show Is Still Happening

Avatar Studios is not the only place where The Last Airbender has a future. Netflix announced in 2018 that it would be making a live-action television adaptation of The Last Airbender, and that both DiMartino and Konietzko would be heavily involved. However, the pair left the project in 2020, saying that their vision for the retelling was not being supported. This lessened some of the excitement surrounding the project, reminding fans of the creators’ lack of involvement in Shyamalan’s movie.

Netflix’s show is still in pre-production despite the Avatar Studios announcement. Not much is known about it or how it plans to differentiate itself from the original series. The latest update about the series was that it was reportedly aging up Katara, making her older than Sokka, and that it had found a new showrunner after DiMartino and Konietzko’s departure. The new showrunner is rumored to be Albert Kim, who has worked on Sleepy Hollow and Nikita. However, the rumor has yet to be confirmed.

Why Avatar Has Returned Now

Avatar has always been popular, consistently drawing large audiences while it aired and winning several animation awards. However, its popularity skyrocketed in 2020, becoming a massive hit after being added to Netflix. Once added to the streaming service, fans could revisit the series and remember their favorite moments, while new viewers could get immersed in Aang’s world for the very first time. Avatar: The Last Airbender proved so popular that it shot straight to the top of Netflix’s list of most watched television shows. It remained in the number 1 spot for almost a week, then continued to stay in the top 10 for two months. This broke a major Netflix record and proved that The Last Airbender had staying power, even though its finale aired over a decade ago. The Legend of Korra experienced a similar resurgence after it was added to Netflix a few months later.

The fact that both series continue to resonate with so many and have reached even more fans years later is proof of their quality. The world of Avatar and its bending systems are well developed and immediately engrossing, instantly capturing viewers’ imagination. Each character has a strong arc and truly grows from who they were when they were first introduced. Their journeys teach valuable lessons and provide solid emotional payoff. It makes total sense that Nickelodeon would form Avatar Studios at the height of the Avatar franchise’s popularity and continue to expand on one of its most beloved properties. With new movies and television shows in the works from DiMartino and Konietzko, as well as Netflix’s live-action adaptation, it’s clear that Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra have a strong future ahead of them.

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