If there’s one thing you should know about fans of the Avatar series, it’s that they really, really, really love Avatar. And why wouldn’t they? The show was amazing. Even the sequel show—The Legend of Korra—was really well done. Both the original and Legend of Korra had great writing, great characters, great dialogue, and fantastic world-building that was a unique mix of Chinese, Tibetan and Inuit culture.

Avatar fans were thrilled when they heard that the original Avatar franchise creators (Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko) were involved in making a live-action show on Netflix.

However, Avatar’s original creators now say that there were too many creative differences with Netflix. And unfortunately, DiMartino and Konietzko have walked away from the project.

“When Netflix brought me on board to run this series alongside Mike two years ago,” Konietzko wrote in his Instagram post, “they made a very public promise to support our vision. Unfortunately, there was no follow-through on that promise. … [T]he general handling of the project created what I felt was a negative and unsupportive environment (Vox).”

“I realized I couldn’t control the creative direction of the series, but I could control how I responded,” DiMartino added on his own website. “So, I chose to leave the project (Vox).”

Netflix responded in an emailed statement, noting that the production would continue with Nickelodeon still attached. “We have complete respect and admiration for Michael and Bryan and the story that they created in the Avatar animated series. Although they have chosen to depart the live-action project, we are confident in the creative team and their adaptation (Vox).”

So…Netflix is committed to making the live-action Avatar WITHOUT the show’s original creators?

I’m not sure how that’ll go. I guess we shall see.

LINKS

Netflix soured the live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, its showrunners say (Vox)

‘The Last Airbender’ Creators Exit Netflix’s Live-Action Adaptation (Indie Wire)

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Creators Exit Netflix Live-Action Adaptation (Variety)