Here's what we know about upcoming 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'-inspired content so far (original) (raw)

When Nickelodeon announced in February that it was launching a studio to create more content based on the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, we were all that Kyoshi Island guy foaming at the mouth with excitement. People have loved discovering and catching up with the Gaang throughout the pandemic, so of course, fans are eager for more details on what they can expect to see from Avatar Studios. EW breaks it down for you below, and we'll be updating as new announcements come in.

What is Avatar Studios?

Nick's Avatar Studios is a new division that will create original content spanning animated series and movies based on Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, the network unveiled during ViacomCBS' Investor Day presentation. Original creators and executive producers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will lead the studio as co-chief creative officers, reporting to Ramsey Naito, the president of Nickelodeon Animation.

Courtesy of Nickelodeon

"Avatar: The Last Airbender and Korra have grown at least ten-fold in popularity since their original hit runs on Nickelodeon, and Ramsey Naito and I are incredibly excited to have Mike and Bryan's genius talent on board to helm a studio devoted to expanding their characters and world into new content and formats for fans everywhere," Brian Robbins, president of ViacomCBS Kids & Family, said last year.

"Creator-driven stories and characters have long been the hallmarks of Nickelodeon, and Avatar Studios is a way to give Mike and Bryan the resources and runway to open up their imaginations even more and dive deeper into the action and mythology of Avatar as we simultaneously expand upon that world and the world of content available on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon," he added.

What can we expect from Avatar Studios?

The studio has already lined up an animated theatrical film set to begin production this year, but Konietzko and DiMartino aren't stopping there.

In an exclusive statement to EW, the creators said they were excited to bring to life "many stories and time periods in Aang's world."

"And with this new Avatar Studios venture we have an unparalleled opportunity to develop our franchise and its storytelling on a vast scale, in myriad exciting ways and mediums," they continued. Read their full statement here.

In a press release, ViacomCBS also said Avatar Studios' Avatar-inspired content will range "from spinoffs and theatricals to short form."

How will Avatar Studios' content be different from Netflix's Avatar series?

Back in 2018, Netflix revealed it was working on a live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series with the creators. But in August, DiMartino and Konietzko announced they had departed the project as they "couldn't control the creative direction of the series."

The show, which is still in the works, has been billed as a retelling and adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and its first piece of concept art featured the airbender and his sky bison companion Appa. In comparison, Nick's Avatar Studios has set out to build upon the world ofnot only ATLA but also its sequel The Legend of Korra, so it seems like there's a lot more room for the studio to explore new stories we haven't seen before.

Where can I watch Avatar Studios' content?

The studio's output will debut on platforms including Paramount+, Nickelodeon's own linear and digital platforms, third-party platforms, and in theaters.

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