Netflix was set to take another stab at a live-action Avatar with original showrunners Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and though things looked good when the show was announced a few years ago, it looks like the series has run into a major setback.
In an open letter to the Last Airbender fans, DiMartino has announced that he and co-creator Konietzko had decided to exit the project. He doesn't give any specific reasons as to why the duo are leaving the project, but he does write:
Look, things happen. Productions are challenging. Unforeseen events arise. Plans have to change. And when those things have happened at other points during my career, I try to be like an Air Nomad and adapt. I do my best to go with the flow, no matter what obstacle is put in my way. But even an Air Nomad knows when it's time to cut their losses and move on.
Even though the two have decided to exit, they insist that they will still be involved with the world of Avatar moving forward. We don't know what that means, but the comics are still ongoing, and Netflix is probably going to try and push forward, granted that Avatar is one of their most-streamed shows right now.
If anything, DiMartino also had this to say about the series that Netflix is working on:
Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good. 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.
Personally, I was already pretty weary of a live-action take on the Last Airbender. If anything, I would have preferred that they just tell the story of a new Avatar, probably the one after Korra. Wouldn't it be interesting to see what the world of bending looks like in modern times?
For now, no release date has been announced for Netflix's live-action Airbender, but The Legend of Korra hits the streaming service on Aug. 14.
Read Also: Both Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are Coming to CBS All Access
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