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The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender isn’t the first follow-up to Nickelodeon’s beloved fantasy series, but it’s the first centered on its main character again. Although we see Aang through flashbacks and the Avatar connection in The Legend of Korra, the film will offer a more thorough look at his adulthood. It may answer questions raised by The Legend of Korra as well. And given how perfectly The Last Airbender holds up after all these years, it’s no surprise the film is high on fans’ watchlists. Here’s what we know about it so far.
6) Despite Former Plans, The Legend of Aang Won’t Come to Movie Theaters
The Last Airbender‘s sequel movie was initially slated for a theatrical release, but a disappointing update revealed that The Legend of Aang would debut directly on Paramount+ instead. This remains a point of contention for many fans, as the prospect of seeing Team Avatar on the big screen was an exciting one. And looking at the original show’s bending and action sequences, it’s easy to understand why.
It seems the creatives behind the upcoming film would also like to see it in theaters, as director Lauren Montgomery had this to say in her Instagram announcement about wrapping production: “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. This movie deserves to be seen on a big screen!!!”
Eric Nam, who is voicing Aang in the upcoming sequel, commented, “This NEEEEEEDS to be watched on the big screen!!!” It’s unclear if Paramount will change its mind about its exclusive streaming release, but it’s clear many were hoping to see The Legend of Aang get a theatrical debut.
5) The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender Is Releasing This October
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender is releasing this October, a timeline confirmed by Montgomery’s Instagram post. The film was initially slated for an October 9 theatrical release, but it doesn’t appear on Paramount Pictures‘ movie calendar, leaving viewers to wonder if the exclusive streaming release will prompt a date change. Either way, it looks like it’ll be on Paramount+ sometime this fall.
4) The Last Airbender Creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko Are Involved
Perhaps the most promising aspect of The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender is that the original series creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are involved as executive producers. The pair’s departure from Netflix’s live-action series was disappointing, but it’s great to see them attached to new releases in the Last Airbender universe. In addition to Montgomery, Steve Ahn and William Mata are co-directing the film. And the behind-the-scenes creatives aren’t the only promising names attached to The Legend of Aang.
3) The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie’s Cast Includes Stars Like Eric Nam & Dave Bautista
The Legend of Aang will reunite fans of The Last Airbender with the original characters, but the main cast of the Nickelodeon show won’t return for the film. Instead, Eric Nam will voice Aang, while the rest of the main cast is rounded out by Jessica Matten (Katara), Román Zaragoza (Sokka), Dionne Quan (Toph), and Steven Yeun (Zuko). Dave Bautista will play the film’s villain, and stars like Ke Huy Quan, Taika Waititi, Dee Bradley Baker, and Geraldine Viswanathan are also confirmed, though we don’t know what roles they’ll play. The recently released look at The Legend of Aang‘s adult characters includes an unknown one, so that’s one option.
2) Details About The Last Airbender Movie’s Plot Have Been Limited
When it comes to the plot of The Legend of Aang, there isn’t much available — and we’ve yet to see a trailer for the film. However, per Nerdist, this is the synopsis for the sequel:
“Avatar Aang, the world’s last Airbender, learns of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction. With the help of his friends, he embarks on a global quest to find it before it falls into the wrong hands and threatens to upend the peace they sacrificed everything to achieve.“
This confirms that we’ll be seeing most of Team Avatar as adults, something we also know from the artwork and casting for the film. It also suggests that the rebuilding of the Air Nomad culture will make up a prominent part in the story. We see the aftermath of Aang’s efforts on that front in The Legend of Korra, but this film will show firsthand how he accomplishes it.
1) The Legend of Aang Is Just One Avatar: The Last Airbender Project Planned
The Legend of Aang wrapping production and approaching its October release is exciting, but it’s not the only project The Last Airbender fans have to look forward to in the future. Avatar: Seven Havens is also coming down the pipeline, with this sequel focusing on the Earth Avatar after Korra. There are also rumors of more movies being planned, though we’ll have to wait for updates from Avatar Studios on that front. And while it’s not under the Avatar Studios banner, Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender has two more seasons coming our way. It’s a great time for the franchise, even if we won’t get to see our favorite heroes taking over the big screen.
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