The Legend of Aang Director Speaks Out on Streaming Release: “Deserves to Be Seen On a Big Screen”

Avatar: The Last Airbender has a new movie coming our way this year, and the director behind it all recently shared their opinion on the new film’s exclusive release with streaming rather than hitting theaters as originally planned. As part of the 20th anniversary celebration of Nickelodeon’s original animated series, original series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino returned to form Avatar Studios and are now working on all sorts of animated projects for the franchise together with Paramount and Nickelodeon. And we’re finally going to get the first of these new projects this year.

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender was originally scheduled to hit theaters later this Fall, but it was confirmed earlier this year that Nickelodeon and Paramount Movies have now decided that the feature will be exclusively releasing with Paramount+ as well. Celebrating the fact that the feature film has recently wrapped, director Lauren Montgomery took to social media to share their reaction to the move while arguing that “This movie deserves to be seen on a big screen!!!”

New Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie Director Reacts to Streaming Release vs. Theaters

Further confirming that production on The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender has wrapped following a tease from one of the creators, Montgomery revealed that the film has been screened for the team, and is the result of years of hard work from everyone involved, “The movie is amazing!!! That might not mean much coming from the director. I might have some bias, but I feel the need to put that out there.” Montgomery then continued by addressing the fact that the film is no longer going to be releasing in theaters as originally slated.

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“The recent decision to move us from theatrical to streaming might give the impression that the quality wasn’t sufficient, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth,” the director stated. “This movie deserves to be seen on a big screen!!! Can’t wait for you all to see it!” Those involved with the film have shared similar sentiments in the past, and fans have been agreeing with it as well. But for now, fans just have to wait patiently until the new Avatar: The Last Airbender to hit Paramount+ later this October.

When Does New Avatar Movie Come Out?

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender is currently scheduled to make its debut this October with Paramount+, but a release date has not been announced as of this time. Lauren Montgomery directed the new film alongside Steve Ahn, and original series creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko returned to the franchise to help craft the film as part of Avatar Studios (working together with Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount). The new film is set after the events of the original series, but before The Legend of Korra.

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender will feature a much older version of Aang and the original cast than fans saw in the original series as they are thrown into a whole new fight as adults. The cast from the original is not set to return, and the film instead stars the likes of Eric Nam as Aang, Steven Yeun as Zuko, Dave Bautista, Jessica Matten, Dionne Quan, Román Zaragoza, Taika Waititi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Dee Bradley Baker, Peta Sergeant, Freida Pinto and Ke Huy Quan in currently unconfirmed roles. 

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