“Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino spent two years developing a live-action adaptation of the animated classic for Netflix before shocking fans by announcing their departure from the project due to creative differences. The decision left Albert Kim, best known as a writer on “Pantheon” and an executive producer on “Sleepy Hollow,” as showrunner of the live-action series without the support of the franchise’s original visionaries. He recently told Entertainment Weekly that it was “absolutely” daunting to continue the show without them.
“You’d have to be an idiot not to be a little intimidated,” Kim said. “My first reaction after ‘Hell yeah’ was, ‘Holy shit! Do I really want to do this? Is there a way to improve on the original? Whenever you tackle something that’s already loved by millions of fans, you have to ask yourself those questions.
When Konietzko and DiMartino left the live-action show, they published an open letter explaining their decision, in which DiMartino said they “could not control the creative direction of the show”.
“When Bryan and I signed on to the project in 2018, we were hired as executive producers and showrunners,” DiMartino wrote. “In a joint announcement for the series, Netflix said they were committed to honouring our vision for this retelling and supporting us as we created the series. And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not work out as we had hoped.
DiMartino called leaving the project “the hardest professional decision I’ve ever had to make,” adding: “Netflix’s live-action adaptation of ‘Avatar’ has the potential to be good. It may turn out to be a show that many of you end up enjoying. But what I can be sure of is that whatever version ends up on screen will not be what Bryan and I envisioned or intended.
Konietzko and DiMartino have since gone on to head Avatar Studios, where they are developing several new “Avatar” animated projects. An animated feature film is scheduled for release in 2025.
In his interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kim said, “All of our writers are also fans of the original, so they drew on their own personal experiences and the things they love the most” when developing Netflix’s live-action adaptation.
“We don’t start the show the way the animated series starts,” Kim added. “That was a conscious decision to show people that this is not the animated show. We sometimes had to unravel stories and remix them in a new way to make sense for a serialised drama. So I’m very excited to see what happens in terms of the reaction to that.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” will be available on Netflix from 22 February.
