MANILA, Philippines — Several cast members behind the popular Nickelodeon series "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (ATLA) have revealed what the first animated feature film from the show's original creators will be about.
Nickelodeon and Paramount had previously announced in 2021 that three animated films in the ATLA universe were being developed by the newly formed Avatar Studios, where original showrunners Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino are producers.
Filipino-American voice actor Dante Basco was heading an ATLA panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con for the podcast "Avatar: Braving the Elements," which he hosts with Janet Varney, alongside Jack De Sena and legendary television actor Phil LaMarr.
Basco voiced Prince Zuko in the orginal ATLA series while Varney voiced the titular character in the sequel show "The Legend of Korra." De Sena was the voice of Sokka while LaMarr was the minor character Earth King, both for ATLA.
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Varney was not present at the panel but announced the ATLA film news in a video.
"There have been a lot of rumors flowing around, a lot of speculation and excitement. I feel it, too," Varney said, wearing an ATLA shirt. "The first feature-length movie from Avatar Studios will be focusing on Avatar Aang and his friends."
Just got some HUGE NEWS from @janetvarney at our #NickSDCC Avatar: Braving the Elements – LIVE! panel, the first feature-length movie from Avatar Studios will be focusing on Avatar Aang and his friends! ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/dsbK1XMCe5
— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) July 22, 2022
The voice actress expressed how excited she was for the upcoming movie, and went back to reading the ATLA-adjacent young adult novel "The Rise of Kyoshi."
The original ATLA series saw the inexperienced young Aang attempting to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, master of the four elements, with the siblings, Katara and Sokka, as they go up against the tyrannical Fire Kingdom.
For this new project, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and other returning characters are expected to be older. Lauren Montgomery, a storyboard artist on ATLA, will be directing the first animated film.
Since the original show ended in 2008 and "The Legend of Korra" in 2014, there has been a live-action movie in 2010 that was critically-panned, a box office bomb, and considered one of the worst movies ever made.
Netflix is currently shooting a live-action series of ATLA, with Filipino-Canadian actor Gordon Cormier as Aang. Konietzko and DiMartino were initially attached but left the project over creative differences.
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