Avatar: The Last Airbender has become somewhat of a hot topic lately. After the wildly successful Nickelodeon TV show took the world by storm, there was a disastrous attempt to create a live-action movie in the past. But more recently, Netflix tried and was in fact successful in bringing Aang and the gang into the live-action world through their latest series.
Now, Paramount, along with Nickelodeon, are taking a stab at it to make a successful movie adaptation of the popular cartoon. The cast was recently announced, and the choice of Eric Nam to voice the adult version of the lead character isn’t sitting right with many people.
There Will Be Quite a Few New Avatar: The Last Airbender Movies in Town Very Soon!
The popular Nickelodeon show Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired from 2005 to 2008, is finally getting its first animated movie. This exciting news was revealed during Paramount’s presentation at CinemaCon (via Variety).
Adding to the buzz, it was revealed that Dave Bautista, known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Eric Nam, a popular figure in the K-Pop scene, have been tapped as the lead voices for this forthcoming film. With Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Studios behind the project, fans can’t wait to see their beloved characters brought to life on the big screen in this new animated adventure once again.
Alongside Bautista and Nam, the voice cast also includes Dionne Quan, Jessica Matten, and Roman Zaragoza. The plot details are being kept secret for now, but Bautista is confirmed to voice a villain character and Nam will be voicing an adult Aang. The animated film is scheduled for release on October 10, 2025, by Paramount.
Eric Nam has been cast as adult Aang in the animated ‘AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER’ movie. pic.twitter.com/GRgD0X3iyG
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 11, 2024
In June 2022, the studios announced three standalone Avatar: The Last Airbender animated films in development. Lauren Montgomery, known for her work on the original Avatar: The Last Airbender series, is directing the project. Original series creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are serving as executive producers alongside Eric Coleman, with William Mata as co-director.
Why Are Fans Upset with Eric Nam’s Involvement in the Project?
Eric Nam faced criticism for liking an Instagram post regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. He later clarified his stance, stating that he had liked a post on X advocating for a neutral approach to the ongoing war, which some found insensitive.
The singer explained that he had to cancel his Malaysia show due to the controversy and issued a statement on X (previously known as Twitter) stating,
“Hi everyone – following the horrific events of October 7th, I liked a post that I believed expressed a position of anti-violence, anti-hate and was against intolerance. My liking of that post was a reaction to waking up to devastating news, as someone who has always been pro-human, pro-peace, and for love and equality for all.”.
As a result, there’s a surge of frustration among people upon learning about the casting decision following that controversial incident. Additionally, fans are advocating for the return of the original voice actors. Here’s what they have to say,
Interesting. We don’t need this to be honest
— SucrePapito (@MNzesi) April 11, 2024
i’m not mad but i wish the original voice actor was the voice
— kenny jones (@relientkenny) April 11, 2024
I guess I won't be watching anymore
— 👑 SonesLoveSoshi 💗 (@soneslovesoshi) April 12, 2024
I’m confused, is this animated? Didn’t they have someone already voice adult aang in korra ?
— Comics Run the World (@ComicsRTW) April 11, 2024
Oh just No…
— 👑 SonesLoveSoshi 💗 (@soneslovesoshi) April 12, 2024
While some are frustrated with the casting choices, many are eagerly anticipating what the story will unfold, as this has never been done before. With the involvement of some of the executives who worked behind the scenes of the original series, fans have high hopes for the movie.
