‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Live-Action Series Coming From Netflix (No, Really)

Throw on Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” because we’re making 2010 choices all over again. Netflix has announced that it has greenlit a live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender. The new series will be created by the Nickelodeon show’s original creators, and no, M. Night Shyamalan will probably not be allowed within 100 feet of this version.

The animated action-adventure epic comes from creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Avatar takes place in a world that is divided into four factions of specialized magic called bending. Those four factions are earth, fire, wind, and water. Only the Avatar, a prophesied legend, has the ability to control all four elements and save the world. But when the legendary Avatar is discovered to be a young boy who barely knows anything about the modern world, saving the world gets a lot more difficult. Avatar originally ran on Nickelodeon for three seasons. It won several awards during its time on the air and has gone on to become one of the most beloved animated shows in recent history.

DiMartino and Konietzko will be serving as showrunners and executive producers of the new live-action series. The series will air exclusively on Netflix, which production beginning in 2019. “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to helm this live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender,” DiMartino and Konietzko said in a press release for the show.

They then continued with this expertly placed jab: “We can’t wait to realize Aang’s world as cinematically as we always imagined it to be, and with a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast.” Oh, the brutality! Take that 2010 garbage!

In case you blocked this part of pop culture from your mind, Avatar had another live-action adaptation. The Last Airbender premiered in 2010 and was directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It was almost universally panned for being a bad movie. It was also heavily criticized for casting heavily white-washing every one of its leads save for anyone who was evil. Plus it looked dumb.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build upon everyone’s great work on the original animated series and go even deeper into the characters, story, action, and world-building,” the press release continued. “Netflix is wholly dedicated to manifesting our vision for this retelling, and we’re incredibly grateful to be partnering with them.”

No one ever really needs an excuse to re-watch Avatar, but I think we all just found one.

Where to stream Avatar: The Last Airbender