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Avatar: The Last Airbender Co-Creator Says Working on Korra Left Them 'Burnt Out'


It has been a long wait but we're finally getting more Avatar: The Last Airbender content including a live-action adaptation on Netflix. But why did it so long to work on new projects after Avatar: The Legend of Korra concluded? Co-creator Bryan Konietzko revealed that working on two shows back to back had left the team too "burnt out" to come up with any new content.

Avatar: The Last Airbender first aired on Nickelodeon in 2005 and quickly became a huge hit. Because of the success, the team behind the franchise immediately worked on the sequel The Legend of Korra which premiered in 2012 and concluded two years later. However, it wasn't until 2022 that the new animated shows and films from Avatar Studios were announced.

So why did it take so long for new projects to begin development? Bryan Konietzko, who co-created both The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra with Michael Dante DiMartino, confirmed in a new interview that they were exhausted from working on two shows almost non-stop for almost a decade (via YouTube).

"After Korra, Mike and I were burnt out on TV and production. Trying to execute a vision with a team of people is really challenging," Konietzko said. "At the beginning of Avatar, I was so fueled by inspiration. By the end of that, I was out of that fuel."

He then confirmed that the hiatus allowed him to get a fresh start on new content for the franchise.

"I really took a break from animation," Konietzko said. "It was awesome because I found stuff that refueled that tank that, honestly, I don't think I had topped off since the beginning of Avatar, twenty years ago."

We're glad that the Avatar Studios team didn't force the creativity and got the rest they needed. With that in mind, we can't wait to see what they have planned for Team Avatar in the future.

Related: Avatar: The Last Airbender's Cabbage Merchant Celebrates Cabbage Day

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