We've seen a lot of animated series brought to life in live action, each with it's own level of expectations from fans. When it was announced that Netflix would be bringing Avatar: The Last Airbender to live action, instantly the hopes were high. After being announced what seems like forever ago, we finally know who will make up the cast and who will be working behind the scenes on the series.
Let's start with the cast and who they will be playing:
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GORDON CORMIER (he/him) is AANG (12), a fearless and fun-loving twelve-year-old who just happens to be the Avatar, master of all four elements and the keeper of balance and peace in the world. An airbending prodigy, Aang is a reluctant hero, struggling to deal with the burden of his duties while still holding on to his adventurous and playful nature.
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KIAWENTIIO (she/her) is KATARA (14), a determined and hopeful waterbender, the last in her small village. Though only fourteen, she’s already endured great personal tragedy, which has held her back from rising to her true potential, though it’s never dimmed her warm and caring spirit.
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IAN OUSLEY (he/him) is SOKKA (16), Katara’s sardonic and resourceful 16-year-old brother. Outwardly confident, even brash, he takes his responsibility as the leader of his tribe seriously, despite his inner doubts over his warrior skills… doubts that he masks with his wit and deadpan sense of humor.
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DALLAS LIU (he/him) is ZUKO (17), a skilled firebender and the intense and guarded Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Currently roaming the world in exile, he’s on an obsessive quest to capture the Avatar because he believes that is the only way to reclaim his life and live up to the demands of his cruel and controlling father, the Fire Lord.
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Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, and Dallas Liu join as series regulars.
Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow) will serve as showrunner. Joining him as executive producers areDan Lin (The Lego Movie, Aladdin) and Lindsey Liberatore (Walker) for Rideback and Michael Goi (Swamp Thing, American Horror Story). Goi will also direct, along with co-executive producer Roseanne Liang and Jabbar Raisani.
In a statement from Netflix, Kim said it was his daughter who got him hooked on the original Nickelodeon series. Does that mean that fans can expect more of the same? It seems like that is a yes and no kind of situation.
"Netflix’s format meant we had an opportunity to reimagine a story that had originally been told in self-contained half-hour episodes as an ongoing serialized narrative. That meant story points and emotional arcs we’d loved in the original could be given even more room to breathe and grow," said Kim. "Finally, a live-action version would establish a new benchmark in representation and bring in a whole new generation of fans. This was a chance to showcase Asian and Indigenous characters as living, breathing people. Not just in a cartoon, but in a world that truly exists, very similar to the one we live in.
I also knew what I didn’t want to do. I didn’t want to change things for the sake of change. I didn’t want to modernize the story, or twist it to fit current trends. Aang is not going to be a gritty antihero. Katara is not going to get curtain bangs."
We don't yet know when the series will be released, or how many episodes this first season will be. What we do know is that Netflix has a great track record for visual effects and adapting fan favorites. I can't wait to see what they will be able to do with Avatar: The Last Airbender. More updates will be coming, so keep checking back.
Photo Credit: Netflix