‘Avatar’ Sequel Film ‘Aang: The Last Airbender’ Revives the Animated Franchise With Breathtaking Visuals: TV Review
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- Avatar Studios releases 'Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender' as its first official feature, roughly five years after the studio was established by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko to expand the franchise beyond 'The Legend of Korra.'
- Paramount+ gets the film on July 25, following a limited awards-qualifying theatrical run restricted to New York and Los Angeles.
- Eric Nam voices the adult Aang, with Oscar nominee Steven Yeun stepping in as adult Zuko, Dave Bautista as ice-preserved airbender Tagah, and Freida Pinto as Sonam.
- Lauren Montgomery directs from a script by Tim Hedrick and Christopher Yost, with DiMartino and Konietzko sharing story credit and overseeing the project as co-chief creative officers of Avatar Studios.
- The film closes a 12-year dry spell since 'The Legend of Korra' ended in 2014, with DiMartino and Konietzko noting they left Netflix's live-action 'Avatar' series during development to focus on Avatar Studios.
- A new original animated series, 'Seven Havens,' co-created by DiMartino and Konietzko, will premiere on Paramount+ this fall, signaling the studio's expanded pipeline.
Why it matters: The release marks Avatar Studios' first feature and ends a 12-year gap since 'The Legend of Korra' wrapped in 2014. By routing the film to Paramount+ after only a limited awards-qualifying theatrical run, Paramount is using a prestige animated debut — followed by the upcoming 'Seven Havens' series — to anchor subscriber-facing Avatar content for its streamer.
