According to ScreenRant, the showrunner for Netflix’s new live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender speaks on the original creator exiting from the series. The original animated series was created by Bryan Konietzko (Avatar the Last Airbender: Echoes and Aftershocks) and Michael Dante DiMartino (Avatar: Rise of Kyoshi Visual Novel) who were part of the live-action series production and then left back in 2020.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is a series that follows 12-year-old Airbender Aang who after learning he is the Avatar, runs away and accidentally becomes frozen for 100 years. After being discovered by Sokka and Katara from the Southern Water Tribe, Aang learns how the Fire Nation has taken over the world. Now he must master all four elements to stop the Fire Nation and bring order to the world.
According to ScreenRant, the showrunner of the series Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow) spoke with Entertainment Weekly over his feelings on continuing the series without the original creators being present. Kim said, “You’d have to be an idiot not to be intimidated a little bit. My first reaction after ‘Hell yeah!’ was ‘Holy s—! 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.”
Kim continued, “It ran the range of really nerdy little things that no one except for diehard fans might wonder about — questions about Katara’s mom or Aang’s parentage — to bigger picture stuff about how to translate what made the original so special into a live-action version. This is Avatar: The Last Airbender, but it is our version of Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently scheduled to premiere on Netflix on February 22nd. The original animated series that aired on Nickelodeon as well as the sequel The Legend of Korra are available on the streamer.