The original creators behind Avatar: The Last Airbender have left the live-action series produced by Netflix.
While many fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender were excited to learn that Netflix was working on a live-action series with the original producers and writers of the animated series, it seems that the creative team has hit an unfortunate roadblock in getting the show off the ground. Michael Dante DiMartino revealed the news that he and Bryan Konierzko have both left the project after butting heads with the streaming service over the direction of the series. Most recently the service restarted production on The Witcher in the United Kingdom, and after the great reception the Henry Cavill series had from fans it seemed like Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender
Fans will know that the duo are the creators behind the original animated series, and their presence as showrunners on Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender show was a positive sign that this would be a better adaption than the 2010 movie from M. Night Shyamalan. The streaming service clearly wants to get original writers and creators onboard for its adaptions, like Mark Millar working with Netflix on a version of his Reborn comic. DiMartino explained on his personal site that while the final product might be enjoyable, it isn’t the thing he set out to make. Take a look at his statement about Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender below.
“Many of you have been asking me for updates about the Avatar live-action Netflix series. I can finally tell you that I am no longer involved with the project. In June of this year, after two years of development work, Bryan Konietzko and I made the difficult decision to leave the production. It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying. 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.”
What do you think about the departure from the show’s original creators? Do you think Netflix will stop working on the series? Sound-off in the comments!
Here’s the synopsis for The Last Airbender:
The four nations of Air, Water, Earth and Fire lived in harmony until the Fire Nation declared war. A century later, there is still no end in sight to the destruction, then, an Avatar named Aang (Noah Ringer) discovers that he has the power to control the four elements. He joins forces with Katara (Nicola Peltz), a Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka, to restore balance and harmony to their world.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the film stars Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone and Dev Patel.Stay tuned for all the latest news on the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content!
Source: Michael Dante DiMartino
