Nickelodeon is bringing back the popular animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The brand-new division Avatar Studios will produce original content set in the franchise’s unique world. Creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have returned to “develop [the] franchise and its storytelling on a vast scale.”
Despite airing for just three seasons from 2005 to 2008, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a staple of animated TV. It’s a cult favorite among those who grew up on it, and even some who didn’t. It has solid characters, top-tier action, rapid-fire humor, and a great story that fully delivers on the intriguing premise. And unlike other kids’ shows of its era, it wasn’t afraid to tackle hard topics. That realism has kept the series “fresh” in the years since its release.
M. Night Shyamalan directed a live-action film based on the series in 2010. While it managed to net solid box office returns, both Avatar fans and movie critics hated it. An animated sequel series, The Legend of Korra, aired from 2012 to 2014, earning massive critical acclaim along the way. Today, the story continues through a popular series of graphic novels.
In 2018, Netflix announced they were working on a live-action remake of the show. With DiMartino and Konietzko confirming their involvement, the news seemed like a godsend for content-hungry fans. But when the two creators left the project citing creative issues, the hype died down. Netflix’s ideas for the series clashed with what the creators had planned, and that didn’t sit well with most. Thankfully, the new projects at Avatar Studios seem much more promising. The first one, an animated film that will begin production later this year, is already exciting fans.
The creators’ approval is a key part of the recipe for success with any Avatar project. Their work is the speck that its world came from. The series never could have reached the heights it did without their insight and dedication. And thanks to their involvement, the new film is almost certainly going to be a hit. For fans, that could serve as something of a reset. Many want nothing more than to make the 2010 adaptation a forgotten memory.
Of course, the studio will have to be careful to avoid the mistakes of past series reboots. The original series balanced wit and charm with action and drama. That’s not easy to pull off, and lightning doesn’t always strike twice. And if they plan to create an even larger universe around the series, they’ll need to be careful. Too much content is almost never a good thing — every chapter of the story should have a clear purpose. But the series’ creators are more than apt to deal with these issues. And if new Avatar can check off the same style boxes as the original, it has a bright future ahead.
New projects based on Avatar: The Last Airbender will begin production in 2021.
Source: EW
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