The long-awaited live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender has received its first teaser trailer. Released by Netflix as part of their ‘Geeked Week’ programming, this first prolonged look gives fans a glimpse at the reimagined four nations, as well as the live-action cast in action.
Based on the Nickelodeon animation of the same name, Avatar: The Last Airbender follows two teenagers, Katara and Sokka, (Kiawentiio and Ian Ousley) who meet a mysterious boy who claims to be the Avatar, one gifted with abilities in all the elements, and the destined saviour of their broken kingdom. As they journey through the nations with Aang (Gordon Cormier), they must learn to harness the elements, as well as stay on the run from the Fire Nation’s banished Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu).
The original show, which ran from 2005-2008, became a contemporary classic during its airing, gaining a huge fanbase and dazzling critical acclaim. It received a spin-off show, The Legend of Korra, which ran for four seasons, as well as a number of comic books. Though, the Netflix series isn’t the first attempt at reimagining the show in live-action, M. Night Shyamalan made a film adaptation in 2010 entitled The Last Airbender, which was panned universally by critics and fans alike. In particular, its casting of predominantly white actors to play indigenous roles was keenly felt, as well as its lack of respect for the original lore of the show.
In response, Netflix have sought to be more authentic in their casting, with the main cast receiving the thumbs up from Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the animation’s showrunners, even though the pair have since left the live-action production team. Fans hope that this new adaptation will provide a more faithful retelling, even with Netflix hinting at more adult themes and storylines than the original.
In the two minute teaser trailer, we get our first look at the vast expanse of the four nations, particularly the fire and water tribe, with impressive production design and visual effects. Fans also get a taste for the action that will be a key part of the series, as well as seeing iconic actors in key roles such as Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience) as Uncle Iroh and Daniel Dae Kim (Lost, Hawaii Five-O) as Firelord Ozai. First looks at Azula (Elizabeth Yu) and Suki (Maria Zhang) also feature.
The trailer also revealed the series air date, with Avatar: The Last Airbender due to stream on Netflix from 22 February 2024.
Words by Rehana Nurmahi
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.