Avatar The Last Airbender is getting its own live-action adaptation. This is all thanks to Netflix. The live-action series will be based on the 2005 animated version of the show. The plan for this live-action adaptation was announced in September 2018. This announcement was met with some wariness. Just eight years before the announcement in 2008, there had been a live-action adaptation of the show that failed on many fronts.
However, 15 years have passed and it appears that significant progress has been made towards the actualization of those plans. Over the course of these years, there have been some events that have caused some worry about the success of the adaptation. One such event is the exit of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the original creators of the show, from the production team for the adaptation. In spite of this, fans still hold out hope. Here is everything you need to know about the live-action adaptation of Avatar The Last Airbender.
What Will The Live-Action Avatar The Last Airbender Be About?
The live-action version is expected to remain true to its source material. It would start with the same premise of the Fire Nation attacking and the Avatar vanishing for 100 years. Katara and her brother, Sokka will find the Avatar, Aang. As it is with the animated TV show, Aang will embark on a journey of discovery and gaining mastery of the other bending skills and friends along the way.
As previously stated, the failings of the first live-action Avatar film caused some worry among fans of the show. One of the problems with it was the fact that M.Night Shyamalan, the film’s director and writer had to compress the story into one film. This is not the case with this adaptation as it will also be a series. There appears to be a concerted effort to tell the story as it was told in the original show. Albert Kim who is the showrunner spoke about the writing process for the show, stating that they were very focused on maintaining authenticity. He said;
“I didn’t want to change things for the sake of change. I didn’t want to modernize the story, or twist it to fit current trends. Aang is not going to be a gritty antihero. Katara is not going to get curtain bangs”
Who Are The Cast Members Avatar The Last Airbender’s Live Adaptation?
Aang will be played by Canadian actor Gordon Cormier. He is a young actor whose major work was in the TV show, The Stand. Cormier will be joined by Kiawentiio who is playing Katara and Ian Ousley as Katara’s brother, Sokka. The beloved Team Avatar is not complete without the Earth-bending skills of Toph Beifong, but for now, there has not been any mention of Toph yet. This is not unexpected as the character did not join the team until the show’s second season. Zuko will be played by Dallas Liu.
Daniel Dae Kim of Lost and Hawaii Five-O is Fire Lord Ozai, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is Uncle Iroh and Elizabeth Yu is Azula. The show’s producers are clearly avoiding another one of the big mistakes of Shyamalan’s Avatar, who did not cast culturally appropriate actors for his cast. They have corrected this with their casting choices.
Is There A Trailer?
No official trailer has been released for the upcoming show. However, Netflix has released a video which offers a first look at the show. In the video are clips and images of the different signs for the different nations- Earth, Air, Fire and Water. This is not all that Netflix has released. They have also shown pictures of each major member of the cast. This offers a glimpse into what viewers can expect when the series is released.
When Is The Release Date?
Right now, no release date has been announced for the live-action adaptation of Avatar The Last Airbender. The only date that is known in relation to the show is the year the first season will be released which is in 2024. There has been no extra information regarding when exactly in 2024 or even an estimate on when it is expected to be released. In spite of this, fans of the show just have to wait and trust the show will be a huge success.
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