Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have opened up about their long-term plans for the franchise and the multiple upcoming projects in development set in the Avatar universe. The two currently lead Nickelodeon’s recently formed Avatar Studios, which is entirely devoted to telling new stories in the world of The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. The first project being developed by the studio is an animated feature film set to begin production sometime in 2021.
After the end of The Legend of Korra, fans wondered whether another Avatar show would ever happen. The franchise has established thousands of years of history and lore, prompting speculation over what stories could be told next in the Avatar universe. And while the years since Korra’s finale have seen the releases of numerous comics and novels set in the world of Avatar, fans have continued to call for new animated projects.
That wish is finally being granted by Avatar Studios, and the creators of the franchise have now given an update on their long-term plans. Speaking on Nickelodeon’s Avatar: Braving the Elements podcast, Konietzko and DiMartino discussed the multiple Avatar projects currently in development. From the sound of it, Avatar Studios will be producing many different kinds of stories that may appeal to a wide range of ages and audiences, which is exciting news for fans. Read Konietzko and DiMartino’s full quotes below.
DiMartino: “Looking at this giant picture we’re not like, ‘oh, we have all these ideas, maybe we’ll get to make one of them.’ But it’s like, we have all these ideas, and ideally we’ll get to, over the years, explore all of them and get to make them. But it’ll take some time.”
Konietzko: "A lot of time. It’s a long plan, and again it is multi-tiered, and what’s neat is that we want each of these projects to have its own feeling, its own tone, and look. And so it will all feel true to the Avatar world, but they will all be very different expressions of it, so it will really deepen it and expand it. And we’ve been lucky that the two series we’ve made already reached quite a diverse, you know, international young [and] old audience – people that aren’t really even into animation, or don’t even have kids, but have ended up watching the show. I think the new stuff will even push into other audiences. As always, we’re not chasing audiences, it’s always just, like, you gotta start from that genuine inspiration, and that test audience of us."
Avatar and The Legend of Korra occasionally dabbled in different animation styles, such as in Korra’s acclaimed Beginnings episode. The idea of new projects each having distinct visual styles as well as different tones and energies is certainly promising, and it sounds like each new show, movie, book or other project will have a specific role to play in the overarching story of the franchise. Later in the podcast, Konietzko and DiMartino joked that they could be working on Avatar for the next 20 years just based on the ideas they’re currently developing.
It should be exciting to see where and when Avatar Studios decides to take those new stories. Konietzko and DiMartino have mentioned both the past and future of the Avatar universe as being ripe for expansion, which means stories set both before Airbender and after The Legend of Korra are possible. It may take a long time for the new Avatar: The Last Airbender projects to start releasing to fans, but from the sound of it, they should be well worth the wait.
Source: Avatar: Braving the Elements