Sunday, January 26, 2020

Netflix Slated to Premiere Live-Action 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Series in 2020

In September 2018, Netflix and Nickelodeon surprised fans when they announced that the streaming service was making a live-action adaptation of Nickelodeon's beloved animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Since the initial announcement, not much more has been revealed about the project. And whilst it looks like filming on the series has yet to commence and the cast still to be announced, it sounds like the series is now gaining momentum!


Although Netflix still has to reveal an official release date for the new show, the streamer recently added Avatar: The Last Airbender as a listing on its site!


Image via Twitter/@AnisaHirad

The program has no cover art, but the listing includes the year ‘2020’, indicating the series is only months away. Obviously, 2020 has only just begun, so it could be that the remake isn’t arriving until December 2020, but fans should still remain optimistic and hope The Last Airbender will arrive this side of Summer.

The official synopsis for the series is: "Long ago, the four nations lived in harmony. Then, everything changed. The animated show's original creators helm a live-action take on Aang's story."

The news comes as Nickelodeon and Netflix is forming a new, multi-year output deal to produce original animated feature films and television series - based both on the Nickelodeon library of characters as well as all-new IP - for kids and families around the world. This marks an expansion of the existing relationship between the companies, which has already brought several popular titles to Netflix, including animated specials Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling and Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus and the animated series Pinky Malinky. Also forthcoming are specials based on The Loud House and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Netflix has also been steadily re-adding library Nickelodeon content in recent months, with Victorious - which was only readded in November 2019 - becoming one of the streamers top 10 kid and family series in 2019 - beating the likes of even Fuller House season 5! Netflix will also debut Nick's new animated series Glitch Techs on Friday, February 21, 2020.

Reportedly beginning production last year for a release sometime this year according to its current listing on Netflix itself, the details for the new live-action series have been kept under wraps. Outside of the confirmation that original creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are on board as showrunners and executive producers, the release date, cast, production team have all been kept a secret thus far. But maybe we'll see more soon if this all works out!

DiMartino and Konietzko have promised to avoid the same mistakes that The Last Airbender movie made, including having a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast.

Created by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and airing between 2005 and 2008, Avatar: The Last Airbender, is set in world people can manipulate the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, and they lived peacefully in different regions until one of the nations started a world war. One master who can manipulate all four elements, dubbed the "Avatar," had been able to prevent this war, but disappeared soon after. 100 years later, a new Avatar named Aang awakens and sets out on a journey to master all the elements in order to bring peace to the land once more by defeating Fire Lord Ozai and ending the destructive war with the Fire Nation.

The series managed to be such a hit with fans by combining amazing animated action set pieces with three dimensional interesting characters set in this magical fantasy world.

The animated series originally aired for 61 episodes over three seasons ("Books") originally on Nickelodeon, where it began in February 2005 and concluded in July 2008. The series was nominated for—and won—Annie Awards, Genesis Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Peabody Award.

Konietzko and DiMartino also created a follow-up series, The Legend of Korra, that returned to the world of Avatar years after Aang’s death to follow Korra, his successor as Avatar. That series ran between 2012-2014.

The stories of both Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra have continued on in graphic novel series.

Paramount Home Entertainment and Nickelodeon Home Entertainment are set to released the Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook Collection on February 18, 2020.

More Nick: Netflix to Host Open Casting Call for Live-Action 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Series!

Originally published: Sunday, January 26, 2020.

Original sources: UNILAD, Republic World
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