Adapting a beloved anime into a live-action anything is always perilous business. Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender were fairly optimistic about a new Netflix series, mainly because of the involvement of creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who were to help run it. Well, that’s not the case anymore, and chances are this project is going to be hit with a sudden storm of shit on social media.
DiMartino hit up his website and responded to fans who have been asking for updates on the series, which has been in development for a couple of years. Turns out, he and Konietzko are no longer involved and it sounds like “creative differences” is the culprit.
“Many of you have been asking me for updates about the ‘Avatar’ live-action Netflix series. I can finally tell you that I am no longer involved with the project. In June of this year, after two years of development work, Bryan Konietzko and I made the difficult decision to leave the production.”
“In a joint announcement for the series, Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series. And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not go as we had hoped.”
“I realized I couldn’t control the creative direction of the series, but I could control how I responded. So, I chose to leave the project. It was the hardest professional decision I’ve ever had to make, and certainly not one that I took lightly, but it was necessary for my happiness and creative integrity.”
In a refreshing twist, DiMartino doesn’t even bother endorsing whatever Netflix’s series will look like without them.
“And who knows? Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good. It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying. But what I can be certain about is that whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make.”
Netflix has a mess on their hands. Avatar and its spinoff The Legend of Korra are consistently some of the most-watched programs the streamer has to offer, and pissing off that base of support is a sure way to ensure this new show fails.
