For those who don’t know, I’ve grown up with a lot of iconic cartoons, and one of those that I have been obsessed with for years - and have carried well into my adulthood - is Avatar: The Last Airbender.
From its resurgence during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to my rewatches later on, I have come to love this show even more as I’ve grown up. I’ve learned all of the best lines of wisdom from Iroh, watched some awesome character development from Zuko, and enjoyed the world that came after with The Legend of Korra.
But now, we’re returning to the show that started it all - in movie form.
Originally announced in the beginning of June 2022, more information has come out about Avatar Studios’ latest adventure into filmmaking in regards to their new movies - specifically about the first film at 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, which will be made by both Nickelodeon and Paramount Animation. If you’re a fan of the series and want to know more about the latest Avatar: The Last Airbender movie, here are five quick things we know.
The First Film Will Focus On Aang And The Gang
Previously revealed at Comic-Con by voice-actress Janet Varney - via Nickelodeon's Twitter account - it was confirmed that the first film that Avatar Studios is planning is not going to center on Kyoshi, as previous rumors have said, but instead focus on the gang from the original show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The news was originally shared at the SDCC panel for Avatar: Braving the Elements, a podcast hosted by Dante Basco (who voices Prince Zuko) and Janet Varney (who voiced Korra in The Legend of Korra), but since Varney wasn’t able to make it, she provided a video to the fans, confirming that the movie is going to follow Aang, Katara, and everyone else we’ve come to love:
There have been a lot of rumors floating around, a lot of speculation and a lot of excitement — I feel it, too. But we figured it was time to set the record straight. The first feature length movie from Avatar Studios will be focusing on Avatar Aang and his friends, and I, for one, cannot wait!
The Story Will Be Set After The Conclusion Of The Original Series
If you were wondering where in the Avatar timeline this new film might take place, it was also announced, per Entertainment Weekly, that the next film is going to take place after the conclusion of the original Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
For those who don’t recall, at the end of the original series, Aang was able to defeat the Fire Lord Ozai (voiced by Mark Hamill) and bring peace to the four nations, trying to rebuild a new, peaceful world alongside his allies. For those who have watched The Legend of Korra, you might have seen some of Aang’s allies in their older years, but this film plans to take place when the gang are young adults.
You might be wondering what story they could possibly tell with the characters we all know and love, but believe it or not, there’s plenty of source material that could be used in this film. There have been several comics released that have followed the gang’s adventure post-series finale that have some especially captivating storylines - with my personal favorite being “The Search” - but we’ll just have to wait and see.
The Original Creators Of The Show Will Be Working On This Film
Have no fear, for the original creators of the show, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, will be involved with this animated film, per the Entertainment Weekly article from before. The two creators will be working with Avatar Studios to bring this movie to the screen.
The two creators originally were working on the Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action adaptation that Netflix is bringing to its platform, but they since left the series due to creative differences. Nickelodeon and Paramount announced they have now teamed up with Avatar Studios, and will be working as producers for this new film.
Lauren Montgomery Will Be Directing The First Movie
Before the details of the new Avatar: The Last Airbender film was even announced, Avatar Studios already had a director picked out, according to their post on Instagram. Directing the first Avatar film will be Lauren Montgomery.
Montgomery has had experience in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe before. She previously did storyboard work for the show during Book 3 of the series - otherwise known as Season 3 - which I personally believed had some of the best episodes, and served as a supervising producer for The Legend of Korra, so I have full faith in her ability to direct this film.
However, Montgomery has done plenty of other fantastic animated projects that only further cement my confidence in her, such as her work on Ben 10, Justice League: The New Frontier, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and so much more, so I have a feeling that this film is going to be right up her alley.
This Film Is The First Of Three That Will Not Be Connected
While I know that all of us are probably excited for the fact that the gang that we all grew up with is reuniting again for a film that takes place after the original series, keep in mind that there are still two other films in the Avatar universe that are going to happen after this one - that’s right, two others.
The next two films were announced simultaneously with the Instagram post announcing that Montgomery would be directing, but it was confirmed by Entertainment Weekly not that long after that the subsequent films would not be connected. That means that there is still so much story for us to learn in this world that doesn’t even involve Aang and the gang - could we finally be getting that Kyoshi movie? Who knows at this point - all I know is that I am excited.
What are you the most excited for when it comes to this new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie? I can’t wait to see the kids that I grew to love as my age now, and you better believe that if these movies come to theaters, I am going to go dressed up in my Fire Nation sweatshirt and hat and sit my butt down in those seats with an extra-large popcorn.
