Live-action ‘Avatar’ showrunner shares reaction to original creators’ exit

Albert Kim, the showrunner of Netflix’s live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” has opened up about his feelings after the animated series’ original creators left the new adaptation.

Background: Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the original creators of the hit animated show “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” announced their departure from the Netflix live-action TV series in June 2020, citing creative differences as the reason behind their decision. The duo has since moved on to work on another project in the franchise, notably an animated film trilogy set between “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra.”

What Kim is saying: Kim recalled feeling immediately intimidated after hearing of DiMartino and Konietzko’s exit. “My first reaction after ‘Hell yeah!’ was ‘Holy sh*t! Do I really want to do this? Is there a way to improve upon the original?'” he told Entertainment Weekly.

Despite the big change, Kim said he would continue working on the Netflix adaptation, noting how “incredibly rare” the show is for being heavily inspired by Asian culture as opposed to the Western European folklore seen in other fantasy shows like “Game of Thrones” and “The Witcher.” He told EW, “A live-action version meant setting new benchmarks for representation by featuring an all-Asian and Indigenous cast.”

Teaser photo: Netflix also released a new photo from the series through Entertainment Weekly featuring Aang (Gordon Cormier) standing beside Katara (Kiawentiio) and her older brother Sokka (Ian Ousley), all donning their iconic outfits.

Albert Kim, the showrunner of the live-action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ opens up about making the series without the original creators: “My first reaction after ‘Hell yeah!’ was ‘Holy s—! Do I really want to do this?'” https://t.co/kpVZJUE134

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) December 19, 2023

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