One of the biggest impacts on the pop culture front, especially one that transcended the boundaries of nations and spanned all over the world, has to go to Nicklodeon’s animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Even when it was released almost two decades ago, the influence that it has on the audience, new or old, to this day is truly a one-of-a-kind phenomenon.
In light of the popularity and cultural influence of the show, Netflix decided to recreate the magic of the original with the live-action adaption of the series, which is all set to release next year. But making this a possibility wasn’t an easy task, especially after the original creators decided to leave the project behind due to creative differences with the production.
Showrunner Talks About The Terror When Original Creators Left Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender
People say that the essence of the original is something that can never be replaced, which is what the fans believed when Netflix announced its live-action adaptation of Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. What gave them the hope of the show being just as good as the original was the presence of creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the duo behind the animated series.
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But that hope seemed to have vanished when even they decided to take their leave from the production of the show, and no one else felt that amount of uncertainty and fear for the future of the project more than showrunner Albert Kim. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, he talked about how he was scared out of his mind and concerned about what to do with the show going forward. He said:
“You’d have to be an idiot not to be intimidated a little bit, My first reaction after ‘Hell yeah!’ was ‘Holy sh*t! Do I really want to do this? Is there a way to improve upon the original?’ Whenever you tackle something that’s already beloved by millions of fans, you have to ask yourself those questions.”
The reason behind the departure of the original creators of the show stems from the creative differences that they had with the production. In an open letter for the press and public. they disclosed that Netflix had promised them complete creative freedom, something that they didn’t receive when they were working on the show.
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What To Expect From Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender?
Bringing the immortal essence of the original animated series to the live-action front of entertainment, Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender has some big shoes to fill.
With the release of the first trailer for the upcoming show, we are introduced to all the major characters that we all love from the original. From the titular protagonist Aang to the characters of Korra, Zuko, and even Master Iroh, all of them will be present to greet us in the Fire Nation when the show is eventually released next year.
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Avatar: The Last Airbender, releasing on Netflix on 22nd February 2024.
