Along with Michael Dante DiMartino, Brian Konietzko is one of the original creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the beloved animated series about Avatar Aang, a young boy charged with ending a generations-long war. Anng is the latest reincarnation of the Avatar, the only person who can control all four elements: earth, air, fire and water.
Konietzko and DiMartino are now in charge of Avatar Studios, which is making new Avatar movies and shows. Speaking on the official Avatar: The Last Airbender YouTube page, Konietzko discussed the origins of the original Nickelodeon series as well as what’s next.
“We still find the Avatar world to be really rich for us creatively,” Konietzko said. “And we always would have ideas, like while we were making [Avatar and the sequel show The Legend of Korra]. ‘Wow. Wouldn’t it be cool to explore that? Wouldn’t it be neat to do something in a different tone?’ And now we’re getting to expand the franchise in different directions all at once.”
Avatar: The Last Airbender creator will “expand the franchise in different directions”
In addition to a sequel show that follows the Earth Avatar after Korra, Avatar Studios is also making multiple movies. There’s one that catches up with members of Team Avatar as adults, a movie about the popular character Prince Zuko, and a film about Avatar Kyoshi, one of Aang’s many past lives.
“Now we’re making a movie, our first movie,” Konietzko continued. “As cool as it was to work in TV, features were like that’s where you get to really craft something that you’re not just rushing and having to put it out. And so that always, as an artist, that was like really alluring to me. Executing it is the hard part.”
To say fans are hungry for more Avatar content is an understatement, and there is suddenly a lot to look forward too. And the fact that Konietzko and DiMartino are back at the helm is very promising. Konietzko and DiMartino were previously attached to help develop Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but the pair left the project over creative differences.
“Avatar was the hardest thing I’d ever done, until we did Korra, which was even harder,” Konietzko said. “Now we’re talking about doing multiple projects at the same time, including feature films. How did I get myself into this? But as with the first two series, it’s worth it.”
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