Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently in production. Here is everything you need to know about the live-action series' release date, plot details, cast, trailer, and some behind-the-scenes stuff you might be interested in, too!
Co-created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the American animated series premiered on Nickelodeon on February 21, 2005. The series follows the story of Aang and his friends, who must save the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai and ending the dangerous war with the Fire Nation.
The original Nickelodeon show was followed by a popular spin-off series in 2020 called The Legend of Korra, which told the story of training the next Airbender.
Without further ado, here's everything we know so far about Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Plot: Will It Adapt the Same Epic Story From the Animated Series?
In September 2018, Netflix announced the "reimagined" live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, so the plot is expected to retread the same adventures as the original animated series.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in a fantasy world divided into four separate nations each named after the classical elements: Air Nomads, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and Fire Nation.
In each kingdom, only a select few individuals known as "Benders" can wield their nation's element by using the regional martial arts as well as their telekinetic powers.
The only one who's capable of mastering all four elements is the "Avatar", an international arbiter whose duty is to maintain harmony among the four nations.
The last of his kind, the Avatar, Aang of the air nomads, was frozen in an iceberg for 100 years and was revived by Katara and Sokka of the Water Tribe.
After learning about the world war ignited by the Fire Nation, Aang goes on a quest to master the abilities of the remaining elements so he can restore peace and harmony among the four nations.
According to Netflix's Tudum, here is the official synopsis for the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series:
The four nations once lived in harmony, with the Avatar, master of all four elements, keeping peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the Air Nomads, the first step taken by the firebenders towards conquering the world. With the current incarnation of the Avatar yet to emerge, the world has lost hope.
But like a light in the darkness, hope springs forth when Aang, a young Air Nomad — and the last of his kind — reawakens to take his rightful place as the next Avatar. Alongside his newfound friends Sokka and Katara, siblings and members of the Southern Water Tribe, Aang embarks on a fantastical, action-packed quest to save the world and fight back against the fearsome onslaught of Fire Lord Ozai.
But with a driven Crown Prince Zuko determined to capture them, it won’t be an easy task. They’ll need the help of the many allies and colorful characters they meet along the way.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Live-Action Cast: Who Are the Actors Starring in the Netflix Series?
On August 6, 2021, Netflix announced the four core cast members of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series. The four main cast members are as follows: Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio Tarbell as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, and Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko.
Gordon Cormier, who will play Aang, recently confirmed that he plans to shave his head for the role.
Along with the cast announcement, showrunner and writer Albert Kim shared a statement:
"We'll be expanding and growing the world, and there will be surprises for existing fans and those new to the tale. But throughout this process, our byword has been 'authenticity.' To the story. To the characters. To the cultural influences. Authenticity is what keeps us going, both in front of the camera and behind it, which is why we've assembled a team unlike any seen before—a group of talented and passionate artists who are working around the clock to bring this rich and incredibly beautiful world to life."
Dante Basco, the voice of Prince Zuko in the animated series, is also confirmed to play a role in Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Daniel Dae Kim (The Hot Zone: Anthrax, Hawaii Five-0) was cast to play Fire Lord Ozai, the ruthlessly driven ruler of the Fire Nation who demands that everyone live up to his impossible standards.
On November 16th, the show added Kim’s Convenience alum Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Lim Kay Siu (Anna and The King), and Ken Leung (Industry) to the cast.
Lee will play Uncle Iroh; Siu will play Gyatso; Leung will play Commander Zhao. Later that month, Lee shared an emotional Q&A video in which he gushes over the cast and diversity of the show:
As for the rest of the supporting cast mates set to star in the live-action Netflix series, you can check out the full list below:
- Maria Zhang as Suki
- Paul Sun-Hyung as Uncle Iroh
- Elizabeth Yu as Princess Azula
- Momona Tamada as Ty Lee
- Thalia Tran as Mei
- Lim Kay Siu as Monk Gyatso
- Ken Leung as Commander Zhao
- Amber Midthunder as Princess Yue
- Tamlyn Tomita as Yukari
- Yvonne Chapman as Avatar Kyoshi
- Casey Camp-Horinek as Gran Gran
- Arden Cho as June
- A Martinez as Master Pakku
- Nathaniel Arcand as Chied Arnook
- Meegwun Fairbrother as Avatar Kuruk
- Utkarsh Ambudkar as King Bumi
- Danny Pudi as The Mechanist
- Lucian-River Chauhan as Teo
- Ruy Iskandar as Lt. Jee
- Hiro Kanagawa as Fire Lord Sozin
- C.S. Lee as Avatar Roku
- François Chau as The Great Sage
- Ryan Mah as Lt. Dang
- Randall Duk Kim as Wong Shi Tong
- George Takei as Koh, the Face Stealer
Just recently, Netflix has released our first looks at the main members of the Fire Nation, all of which you can check out below:
Avatar: The Last Airbender Crew: Who are the Creatives Behind Netflix's Live-Action Series?
The original creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, were the producers and showrunners of the Netflix series, as announced first in 2018.
Since the two were not involved in the first live-action film in 2010, many fans are highly anticipating that the live adaptation this time will be much more accurate to the original series.
However, by 2020, DiMartiino and Konietzko left the project due to 'creative differences', in which they weren't as creatively liberated to lead the series as much as they thought they would.
Thankfully, though, Avatar Studios, a newly attached branch of Nickelodeon, is still involved in making the series come true for fans.
The new creatives team involves Albert Kim as the showrunner, executive producer, and writer of the series. Working alongside him are Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore, Roseanne Liang, and Michael Goi.
As for the music score of the live-action Netflix series, well, Takeshi Furukawa's been left in charge of that, as he took his excitement to Twitter/X:
Avatar: The Last Airbender Release Date: When Will the Netflix Series Start Airing?
Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender will be released sooner than the new Avatar animated films and TV shows from Paramount's Avatar Studios.
The executive producer even said, "I'm looking forward to that time [when the show is out], but there's a lot of visual effects to finish before that happens."
Come November 11, 2023, Netflix has unveiled when we should expect the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender to air on the streaming service and that is on February 22, 2024.
How Many Episodes Will Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender Have?
There will be a total of 8 1-hour-long episodes for the first season of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender. This was confirmed by actor Paul Sun-hyung Lee during an interview with Handsome Genius Club Radio Show.
As Avatar News reported, having 8 episodes has always been the plan since before filming for the show began.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Live-Action Trailer: Is There An Official Trailer for the Live-Action Series Yet?
As of November 11, Netflix unleashed the first official teaser for the live-action series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which you can watch below. The trailer not only included a clearer image of our leading characters, but even a sneak peek of the live-action Appa and Aang's lemur sidekick, Momo.
"Time... Time is a funny thing. The past, the future, it all gets mixed up. There's only one way you'll keep it straight - always remember who you are."
Netflix released a first-look teaser in June this year for Avatar: The Last Airbender's live-action series, which you can check out below: