‘Avatar’ Creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko Quit Netflix’s Live-Action ‘Avatar’ Series

UPDATED 8/12/20 AT 4:41 PM ET: The Avatar live-action series is still going ahead at Netflix with Nickelodeon, Dan Lin, and Lin’s company, Rideback, Decider can confirm.

“We have complete respect and admiration for Michael and Bryan and the story that they created in the Avatar animated series,” a Netflix spokesperson stated. “Although they have chosen to depart the live action project, we are confident in the creative team and their adaptation.”

Avatar: The Last Airbender creator Michael Dante DiMartino shared an update about his long-awaited Netflix series today, but it’s not news that’s likely to please his fans. DiMartino posted an open letter on his website this morning announcing that he is no longer involved in the Netflix live-action Avatar series.

The Avatar creator explained that he left the project voluntarily in June after two years of development work, and that his Avatar co-creator, Bryan Konietzko, quit the series with him. “When Bryan and I signed on to the project in 2018, we were hired as executive producers and showrunners,” he wrote. “In a joint announcement for the series, Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series. And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not go as we had hoped.

“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.”

From DiMartino’s letter, it sounds like creative differences were a major reason for his and Konietzko’s departures. “I realized I couldn’t control the creative direction of the series, but I could control how I responded,” he wrote. The Avatar co-creator explained that the decision to leave was ” the hardest professional decision” he’s ever made.

Although DiMartino and Konietzko are officially out, the project is still on, and DiMartino acknowledged that some fans will like what they see, even if it’s not what he was hoping to create. “It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying,” he wrote. “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.”

Netflix first announced that they were working on the live-action series in 2018. At the time, both DiMartino and Konietzko were attached to the project, which began production in 2019. In today’s letter, DiMartino assured fans that while he’s done with the Netflix series, he’s not leaving Avatar anytime soon. “These stories and characters are important to me and the renewed interest and excitement in Avatar and Korra has been inspiring to see,” he wrote.

Where to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender