We’re finally getting the Avatarverse content we deserve.
On Wednesday, Nickelodeon announced during ViacomCBS’ Investor Day presentation that it’s launching Avatar Studios, a new division focused on content related to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend Of Korra.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the first project under Avatar Studios will be an animated theatrical movie that’s set to begin production this year—so you can pretend that the M. Night Shyamalan movie was merely an awful fever dream now that we’re getting an official movie. But don’t get too excited just yet. No details have been shared, so we’ll have to wait to see what direction they’re taking with it.
A:TLA creators and executive producers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko gave a statement to EW, sharing their enthusiasm towards the opportunity to expand the beloved Avatarverse:
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 19 years since we created Avatar: The Last Airbender. But even after all that time, there are still many stories and time periods in Aang’s world that we are eager to bring to life. We are fortunate to have an ever-growing community of passionate fans that enjoys exploring the Avatarverse as much as we do.
And with this new Avatar Studios venture we have an unparalleled opportunity to develop our franchise and its storytelling on a vast scale, in myriad exciting ways and mediums. We are exceedingly grateful to [Nickelodeon president] Brian Robbins and [president of Nickelodeon Animation] Ramsey Naito for their enthusiasm and respect for the Avatar property and us as its stewards. From the start, they’ve supported our ambitious plans and created a positive, proactive environment for us.
We’re excited to be back at Nickelodeon where Avatar began, doing what we do best in the biggest way possible. We can’t wait to build the great teams and productions to make all of this fantasy a reality.”
This news comes after DiMartino and Konietzko dropped out of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series because they didn’t have control of the show’s creative direction. But now, with Avatar Studios, fans can be assured that any future animated content related to the Avatarverse is in great hands.