Albert Kim’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender recently raised concern among fans after the creator of the show compared the series to the popular HBO drama Game of Thrones along with other reasons. However, looking back at Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino’s statements following the departure from the show, it seemed that they had already forewarned of the substantial deviation the live-action adaptation would undergo.
Netflix announced a re-imagined version in 2018 with the creators of the original show. However, two years into the development of the live-action adaptation, Konietzko and DiMartino revealed their departure. Their decision to step away from the project was accompanied by a clear message expressing that the upcoming series would be significantly different from the vision they had intended for the series.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Creators Departed From the Live-Action Due to Creative Differences
In August 2020, Michael Dante DiMartino shared an open letter on his blog, revealing that he and the Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creator, Bryan Konietzko, have decided to leave the live-action adaptation of the beloved series. DiMartino shared that he and Konietzko joined the production as showrunners and executive producers and were excited about the opportunity.
“Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series,” he said before adding, “We expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm.” However, things did not progress as they expected them to and as soon as they realized that they had no control over its “creative direction,” they decided to leave the project.
The producer-writer described it as the “hardest professional decision” he’s ever had to make. While he stated that the live-action adaptation could turn out to be good and fans may enjoy it, he also expressed apprehension about its deviation from their original vision for the show.
“But what I can be certain about is that whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make,” DiMartino said. And the statement serves as a cautionary note to both fans and the streaming platform, particularly in light of comparisons to the popular HBO series Game of Thrones.
Albert Kim on Working on the Netflix Adaptation Without Original Creators
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Albert Kim, the showrunner of Netflix’s highly anticipated live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender, opened up about the daunting task of leading the project without the involvement of the original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
While their departure from the series was mutual and DiMartino and Konietzko have continued working on other projects in the franchise, he admitted feeling a sense of intimidation taking charge of the show. “You’d have to be an idiot not to be intimidated a little bit,” he shared during the interview. Kim further mentioned, “My first reaction after ‘Hell yeah!’ was ‘Holy s—! Do I really want to do this?'”
However, the weight of responsibility was not lost on Kim, who recognized the immense love and loyalty towards the original animated series. And despite his initial reservations, he decided to take on the challenge driven by his passion for the source material and the desire to honor what made the original series so beloved.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (animated series) is available to stream on Netflix.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (live-action) is set to premiere on Netflix on February 22, 2024.
