The Original Creators Of Avatar: The Last Airbender Have Left Production Of The Live Action Netflix Series

Cicada 5

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Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have announced they will no longer be involved in the live-action adaptation due to a lack of support from Netflix. The series could still happen, but both creators said it would not represent the show they wanted to see brought to life.
“Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good,” DiMartino said in a statement. “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 and Konietzko are the creators behind Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, considered some of the greatest animated shows of our time. Fans were thrilled when Netflix announced back in 2018 that both creators would be developing a live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, bringing the world of Avatar to life in a way that M. Night Shyamalan’s film version failed to do several years prior. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.
In separate statements, DiMartino and Konietzko confirmed they were leaving Netflix’s planned Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation. Both of them claimed that Netflix did not come through in the way they were hoping for, leaving them with creative differences that could not be resolved. Konietzko noted that the studio failed to follow through on its promise to support their vision, and weren’t coming to the table with ideas that were “in line with the spirit and integrity of Avatar.”
DiMartino and Konietzko said there’s no indication the series has been cancelled. A Netflix spokesperson told io9: “We have complete respect and admiration for Michael and Bryan and the story that they created in the Avatar animated series. Although they have chosen to depart the live action project, we are confident in the creative team and their adaptation.”

 

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Avatar didn't really need a live action adaptation, nor do I think it lends itself to one very well.

Now that the original creators have left the project I can go ahead and go back to not caring about it in the slightest.
 

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Avatar didn't really need a live action adaptation, nor do I think it lends itself to one very well.

Now that the original creators have left the project I can go ahead and go back to not caring about it in the slightest.
Yeah, I have to question what they plan to do with a live action version they didn't do with the animated one. Make it darker? Flesh it out?

Or is it merely to appeal to people who just don't like animation(considering the original Avatar is on netflix and anyone who wants to can watch it)?
 
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happyninja42

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I don't understand why this is even a thing. I mean there are just far too many variables that went into the original A:tLA being as good as it was, and as much of a classic as it was. Even with the original creators, it's never going to be as good as the original.

So why do it? Just go watch the actual show that was awesome, and maybe do something ELSE in the world, that is NEW. Because I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone is going to be able to out-Sokka the voice actor who voiced him. Nobody's going to be able to out-Toph Toph.

Just, stop trying to recycle everything for fuck's sake, and just make new stuff. There is an entire WORLD of possibilities in that setting, and yet people just want the same thing over again?

I mean hell you could do prequel stories of any number of unnamed Avatars, that are free to be their own story, without any ties to the original. You could go into the future generations and do a freaking Shadowrun-esque setting, with technology and magic. I mean they already set the stage for that with Korra, just expand further.
 
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Cicada 5

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I don't know how reliable they are, but Fandomwire apparently has some details for why the split happened. If the article is to be believed it was due to budget clashes, Netflix wanting to cast white actors when DiMartino and Konietzko said no and Netflix wanting more romance, sex, blood and gore in the series.

https://fandomwire.com/exclusive-why-avatar-the-last-airbenders-creators-really-left-netflix/

I'm skeptical about the claims Netflix wanting to cast white actors for the roles given the controversy the live action movie got for that decision and Netflix has had a lot of diversity in their output. The budgetary concerns and the desire for more focus on romance as well as inclusion of sex and blood seem more plausible.
 
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Cicada 5

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I don't know how reliable they are, but Fandomwire apparently has some details for why the split happened. If the article is to be believed it was due to budget clashes, Netflix wanting to cast white actors when DiMartino and Konietzko said no and Netflix wanting more romance, sex, blood and gore in the series.

https://fandomwire.com/exclusive-why-avatar-the-last-airbenders-creators-really-left-netflix/

I'm skeptical about the claims Netflix wanting to cast white actors for the roles given the controversy the live action movie got for that decision and Netflix has had a lot of diversity in their output. The budgetary concerns and the desire for more focus on romance as well as inclusion of sex and blood seem more plausible.
Turns out they aren't trustworthy at all https://korranews.com/post/626409384180858880/the-netflix-live-action-atla-news-going-around-is
 
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BrawlMan

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I'm not surprised in the slightest. Netflix, just freaking stop. Mike and Brian did enough screw-ups with Legend of Korra and some of the Avatar comics. When they pull off this project you know something's wrong.
 

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I'm getting flashbacks from the M. Night flick.
 

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Didn't care. Still don't care. But I wish they'd work on an animated series again.
 

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I know they're working on Dragon Prince, but that's about it. I still haven't seen the show myself.
Oh. Yeah, I'm not watching any CG animation. I'm boycotting all of them, since the American studios barely do any traditional, including zero movies. I think the last one I watched was Moana three years ago. I don't miss them.
 

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They have no involvement with Dragon Prince.
Really? Not even as like producers or something?

Oh. Yeah, I'm not watching any CG animation. I'm boycotting all of them, since the American studios barely do any traditional, including zero movies. I think the last one I watched was Moana three years ago. I don't miss them.
I do prefer 2D animation, but I don't mind CG animation as long as the animation is decent or good. I know the first season had choppy animation, and they fixed it with the second season. the guy playing the main character is the one who voices Sokka so that's a bonus. I guess.
 

Bob_McMillan

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Really? Not even as like producers or something?
I think just one of the ATLA writers was involved, and of course the voice actor of Sokka. Personally, Dragon Prince never improved in animation quality like other CG cartoons before it, so meh.

OT: Not surprising. As with others in this thread, I am so confused as to why you would bother with not only a live action Avatar series, but a remake of the original.

I have been thinking though, if they were to explore a different Avatar, where would they go? I don't want them to go further into the future, because boiiii I did not like how Legend of Korra looked towards the end. Or honestly, maybe in general. So I would somewhat prefer the past, but then prequels are never that interesting. What could they do with the 4 nation system this time? Have a different nation play the part of the Fire Nation?
 

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I'm not sure what the problem is. Remaking Avatar is a pointless endeavour. If it was a new show, sure, but original creators or no, who was actually excited for this?

I have been thinking though, if they were to explore a different Avatar, where would they go? I don't want them to go further into the future, because boiiii I did not like how Legend of Korra looked towards the end. Or honestly, maybe in general. So I would somewhat prefer the past, but then prequels are never that interesting. What could they do with the 4 nation system this time? Have a different nation play the part of the Fire Nation?
If we're not going forward, my idea would be this:

Have a story with the second Avatar after Wan (or third, so we don't have another airbender protagonist). Everything seems normal until, by chance, they bend a second element. People don't know what the hell is going on, but remember this one guy who could bend all four. Have the story centered around the world coming to grips with the existence of the Avatar, and setting the stage for the terms of their training (e.g. origins of the Fire Sages).

I've toyed with this idea for awhile, but it would be an absolutely mammoth undertaking to write for FFN. But people getting paid to do it, and in animated form? Yes please.

if we're moving past Korra though, can't say, as I've only seen the first two seasons.
 
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Palindromemordnilap

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What could they do with the 4 nation system this time? Have a different nation play the part of the Fire Nation?
You could do something with the actual formation of the four nations? How the humans go from sheltering in cities on the backs of lion turtles to forming their own civilisations and empires. Perhaps set it against the expansion of the Earth Kingdom since that is noticeably massive in the series
 

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if we're moving past Korra though, can't say, as I've only seen the first two seasons.
The wierd bit about moving past Korra is the fact Korra is more or less set in the 1930's with Fantastic elements, so extraporlating from that you'd be pressing into the 20th century. Then again. Korra also had a giant Mecha in Season 4, so who knows?