A couple of years after the announcement, Netflix would develop a live-action series adaptation Avatar: The Last Airbender with the original creators attached to the project, Michele Dante Di Martino AND Bryan Konietzkothe original creators left and left the show.
DiMartino and Konietzko were executive producers and showrunners on the series, but left the project due to the “creative direction” it was taking. This was bad news not only for fans of the franchise but also for the rest of the series’ creative team.
They have been replaced by Alberto Kim, who is the series’ new showrunner, and during a recent interview with SFX magazine (via GamesRadar), talked about the creators leaving the show and how tough it was. He said:
“There was a moment where I took a step back to think, ‘What will it be like without them involved?’ I felt very confident in the direction we had charted. Netflix was also very excited about where we were going with everything, so it was natural to continue with the show, even after they left. But it wasn’t easy.”
“There was definitely a moment where, ‘Wow, this is going to be tough.’ I would have liked to have had them as people to talk to and consult with and collaborate with. But again, that was a personal decision on their part. After that happened, it was just a matter of moving forward as best we could, and what they felt was the best solution for the project.”
I just don’t understand why they didn’t want to take it in the direction the original creators wanted to go. Kim says he would have liked to have them around, but they had them! They were running the show, but you obviously didn’t like what they were bringing. DiMartino wrote an open letter explaining that they were leaving because they could not “control the creative direction of the series”.
The first trailer released for the show looked good, but we still don’t know how good the story will be. Will Avatar: The Last Airbender be the best series it could be without the original creators? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
The series synopsis reads: “Set in a war-torn Asian world, where some people can ‘bend’ one of the four classical elements: water, earth, fire or air. Aang (Gordon Cormier) is the “Avatar”, the only one capable of bending all the elements, and is destined to bring world peace from the Fire Nation. With her new companions Katara (Kiawentiio Tarbell ) and Sokka (Ian Ousley), Aang sets out to master the elements while being pursued by the exiled Fire Nation Prince Zuko (Daniel Dae Kim), who seeks to regain his honor by capturing the Avatar.”
I’ve included all the casting and character details below. The series will premiere on February 22, 2024.
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
