Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender Is Ready to Fill In Gaps From the Original Series
Avatar: The Last Airbender's showrunners are aiming to create original content that tells fans stories not seen in the animated series.
Finding success with the live-action adaptations of One Piece and Yu Yu Hakusho, Netflix will be releasing a new take on Avatar: The Last Airbender this February. While trailers and promotional material for the series have shown several characters and locales ripped straight from the source material, the showrunners have hinted in the past that Aang and the gang's story might receive some new material. In a new interview, the creative team discussed some of the big scenes that will be explored in Netflix's upcoming adaptation.
Showrunner Albert Kim took the opportunity to chat with outlet Entertainment Weekly, explaining what the creators were attempting to do with this new take on the bending world, "We just wanted to make sure audiences didn't think they were getting a kids' show. We want to ensure that our show is for all ages." Kim then discussed some of the limitations that were found in the original animated series, "It's a cartoon, it's meant for kids, but I felt it was important that we see the event that creates the story of Avatar. The famous line is, 'Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.' I wanted to see that."
An Airbender Execution
The young actor who plays Aang, Gordon Cormier, hinted at the scene that will feature the Air Nomads' demise, "I think the airbender genocide is really cool… Well, no! No! Not like that. I mean, yeah, my whole family's dead, of course. It's not a good thing, but watching it is going to be sick!"
Kim explained that while there is original content, the showrunner is making the series for fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender's second and third seasons, which were a tad more adult-oriented than its premiere episodes, "For fans of the second and third season, I think it's all in line with what they saw there."
The actor who portrays the Fire Lord Ozai, Daniel Dae Kim, took the opportunity to hint at the more mature storytelling of Netflix's live-action series, "The kids who watched the animated version of Avatar are now grown-ups, and so they're ready for more grown-up fare."
Do you think Netflix's live-action take will live up to its original animated adventures? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of bending.