Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action show on Netflix (now sans its creators).

[Werthead]

Original Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have bailed from the Netflix live-action remake, which they are supposed to be showrunning, after saying they "lost creative control of the process." Reading between the lines of their statement, it seems that although they were the showrunners, their lack of live-action experience meant that other people felt entitled to make decisions that went against their wishes, and effectively meant they were no longer in charge of the project. It also sounds like some of the other people involved from Netflix's end were not keen on maintaining the spirit of the animated show and wanted to go in a different direction.

Most concerningly, it sounds like casting may have been the ultimate flashpoint. DiMartino has made a point of mentioning in several recent interviews (since both Avatar and Korra moved to Netflix and started getting huge ratings) that the live-action show was supposed to be ethnically consistent with the series (i.e. non-white actors in all the key roles), which is odd because by that point he was off the project. I'm starting to think that Netflix may have rolled back on this and wanted bigger names, even if they were inappropriate for the roles. Basically, it sounds like Shyamalan all over again.

There is a hint that DiMartino and Konietzko may now be considering creating a third animated show in the universe instead, which would at least be one good outcome. 

[A True Kaniggit]

Well that’s disheartening. 

[Shaun Snow]

My interest in this project just dropped to zero.

[Guy Kilmore]

Man, Netflix, read the room a little.  

[fionwe1987]

Yeah I don't think I'll be watching the live-action version, especially if casting was the flashpoint.

What a complete mess. I can't believe Netflix is being this dumb. 

[Vaughn]

Good for them.

Always struck me that this would be a hugely expensive show to do live action due to the sheer number of effects that bending would require and all the creatures. Even a show like the the Mandalorian has more quiet bits where practical effects aren't needed I think. The Detective Pikachu movie was $150m for 2 hours, this would I assume cost something similar per hour given how many magical creatures were strewn throughout the show.

[fionwe1987]

Cost doesn't seem to have been the issue, though. And Avatar definitely has its quieter moments. And I think any fan would say that an expansion of the story to Live Action should spend more time on character moments, not expensive set piece battles, of which there's more than enough already.

I think the bigger issue was always going to be tone. The animated series is weighty and complex but also genuinely lighthearted. But a lot of that will be harder to pull off in live action, and I can imagine part of the frustration was maybe Netflix trying to cut that element down.

[Guy Kilmore]

2 minutes ago, fionwe1987 said:

Cost doesn't seem to have been the issue, though. And Avatar definitely has its quieter moments. And I think any fan would say that an expansion of the story to Live Action should spend more time on character moments, not expensive set piece battles, of which there's more than enough already.

I think the bigger issue was always going to be tone. The animated series is weighty and complex but also genuinely lighthearted. But a lot of that will be harder to pull off in live action, and I can imagine part of the frustration was maybe Netflix trying to cut that element down.

I am watching the Animated series right now for the first time ever.  And the tone of Aang vs the Fire Nation is super important in that levity.  Aang can laugh at himself, the members of the Fire Nation really struggle at doing that (Iroh non withstanding, but again, he is an example of a healthy balance).

Levity is essential to the theme of the story.

[fionwe1987]

3 minutes ago, Guy Kilmore said:

I am watching the Animated series right now for the first time ever.  And the tone of Aang vs the Fire Nation is super important in that levity.  Aang can laugh at himself, the members of the Fire Nation really struggle at doing that (Iroh non withstanding, but again, he is an example of a healthy balance).

Levity is essential to the theme of the story.

Very much so. And the tragedy of the 100 year war is deepened in contrast to the quiet moments of joy and solidarity that are blended into the story.

And the arc of Aang coming to terms with himself as an agent of vengeance and violence, it makes no sense if he isn't a goofy, sensitive kid. If they mess with that, they're complete morons. 

ETA: hope you're enjoying the show!

Edited August 12, 2020 by fionwe1987

[Guy Kilmore]

1 minute ago, fionwe1987 said:

Very much so. And the tragedy of the 100 year war is deepened in contrast to the quiet moments of joy and solidarity that are blended into the story.

And the arc of Aang coming to terms with himself as an agent of vengeance and violence, it makes no sense if he isn't a goofy, sensitive kid. If they mess with that, they're complete morons. 

ETA: hope you're enjoying the show!

I am!  I am glad I started it, it is good as people said it was, which is a rare thing. I probably wouldn't if we weren't in a pandemic.  It even sucked my wife in.

[dog-days]

Was always a bit dubious about Avatar going live-action anyway. I'd be delighted if we got a new animated show instead. Though I do hope the creative team read this article first. 

[DaveSumm]

2 hours ago, Guy Kilmore said:

Man, Netflix, read the room a little.  

Indeed. Genuine question; what portion of the ultimate audience that Netflix would hope for for this series come from fans of the animated series? Is it not better to keep everyone positive by keeping the original creators on, fixing whatever their issues may be? Or is that naive, and actually the old fan base would be negligible in terms of numbers? I suppose most would still watch, albeit with a more negative predisposition.

[Guy Kilmore]

2 minutes ago, DaveSumm said:

Indeed. Genuine question; what portion of the ultimate audience that Netflix would hope for for this series come from fans of the animated series? Is it not better to keep everyone positive by keeping the original creators on, fixing whatever their issues may be? Or is that naive, and actually the old fan base would be negligible in terms of numbers? I suppose most would still watch, albeit with a more negative predisposition.

I am one of these new fans, I am watching it for the first time and enjoying it and Netflix has been advertising that they have the cartoon now on their site and stuff.  So I guess, especially in the current environment, you'd think adhering to the diversity of the cartoon you are toting as your number one streamed show would be, well, in the conversation at least?

 

[Vaughn]

Even if the creators did stay on, I think casting a 12 year old actor who was able to blend whimsy and sadness as Aang would be super hard.

To give Netflix a shard of the benefit of the doubt, we don't actually know if this was because they wanted the show to be more Western or something totally other, like budget or plot changes.

[Guy Kilmore]

Just now, Vaughn said:

Even if the creators did stay on, I think casting a 12 year old actor who was able to blend whimsy and sadness as Aang would be super hard.

To give Netflix a shard of the benefit of the doubt, we don't actually know if this was because they wanted the show to be more Western or something totally other, like budget or plot changes.

Fair point on the latter.  To the former, I don't think aging up the actors would be a point of contention though.

[DaveSumm]

8 minutes ago, Vaughn said:

Even if the creators did stay on, I think casting a 12 year old actor who was able to blend whimsy and sadness as Aang would be super hard.

I’m watching for the first time at the moment, and I’m really impressed with the voice actor of Aang, and that’s just a voice. It’d be a very tough cast.

[fionwe1987]

2 hours ago, Guy Kilmore said:

I am!  I am glad I started it, it is good as people said it was, which is a rare thing. I probably wouldn't if we weren't in a pandemic.  It even sucked my wife in.

Haha yeah I think a lot of people who don't do animation as a rule have told me they watched Avatar because of the pandemic and were shocked at how much they loved it.

1 hour ago, dog-days said:

Was always a bit dubious about Avatar going live-action anyway. I'd be delighted if we got a new animated show instead. Though I do hope the creative team read this article first. 

Wow. So much wrong with that article. I sincerely hope they don't read it before working on their next show. 

[Vaughn]

That article was ludicrous.

[fionwe1987]

The belief that non-white and non-Western people cannot be imperialist/colonial is so ludicrous, and undercut by her own points about memories of Japan's imperialism. And her point that because Indigenous people in the real world are fighting environmental damage and pollution, it is uncomfortable to see cultures inspired by them in a whole other universe being depicted as polluters is bizarre. Doesn't she get that this isn't a cultural/race thing but an economic thing? Nothing makes Indigenous people inherently incapable of being focussed on industrial progress and resource extraction to the detriment of ecology. Economic and political events of the past few centuries has made it so white/Western cultures have done so in our world, but that isn't a result of their race or geography at all. 

The more I think about it, the more pissed off that article makes me feel. 

 

[Vaughn]

If you require creative output to be bound by specific external mandated cultural agreed upon 'rules', that's some near Maoist bullshit and a death for inspiration.

I'd be also very interested to read her follow-up article exploring how American cultural references are misused in Japanese anime. Why, there are hardly any real cowboys in 'Cowboy Bebop' at all!