Netflix Avatar showrunner was “intimidated” to make live-action series without its creators

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender showrunner reveals how “intimidated” he was to take on the project after the original creators parted ways.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a beloved animated series, one that fans have become extremely protective of after the 2010 movie adaptation became a sore spot for fans of the original series.

Despite this apprehension from fans, Netflix revealed that they had plans to adapt the cartoon into a new live-action series. This show is set to release in February of 2024.

Unlike the original movie though, the TV show is already proving to be more faithful to the adaptation based on casting choices and footage that has already been shown in various trailers.

However, some fans are still worried about the show given that the original creators of the animated series, Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, decided to part ways with Netflix due to creative differences.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Avatar: The Last Airbender showrunner Albert Kim admitted he was extremely “intimidated” to take on the role following Konietzko and DiMartino’s departure from the project.

“You’d have to be an idiot not to be intimidated a little bit,” Kim began. “My first reaction [to being offered the job] after ‘hell yeah’ was ‘holy s**t. Do I really want to do this? 

“Is there a way to improve upon the original?’ Whenever you tackle something that’s already beloved by millions of fans, you have to ask yourself those questions.”

However, Kim did reveal that the Netflix adaptation still included much of the feedback and ideas that the original creators discussed with him before they eventually moved on. 

Explaining how their involvement, while small, did help the team further understand the backstories of central characters and pay homage to the original animated series.

“It ran the range of really nerdy little things that no one except for diehard fans might wonder about — questions about Katara’s mom or Aang’s parentage — to bigger picture stuff about how to translate what made the original so special into a live-action version,” Kim said.

However, the showrunner did add that, “this is Avatar: The Last Airbender, but it is our version of Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is set to drop on the platform on February 22, 2024. 

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