Nickelodeon's beloved animated fantasy show Avatar: The Last Airbender is regarded as one of the greatest works of animation ever created. Despite airing back in the naughties, the series remains incredibly popular and its fanbase is legion.
In February, Netflix premieres its live-action remake of Avatar, which while sticking close to the source material will also expand on certain plot points and cover scenes that we never got to see in the original animated series.
For instance, showrunner Albert Kim told SFX Magazine that the Netflix show will depict the Fire Nation attacking the Southern Air Temple, a key catalyst of the war our heroes are trying to stop. "The original series never shows the Fire Nation attacking the Southern Air Temple, and that's something we do see in our version," he said.
One of the most sunstantial changes fans will notice involves the format of the show. Unlike the original, which very much followed an 'adventure of the week' style, the live-action show will flow like a more continuous story. "We all knew that there were things we wanted to change, but not just for the sake of change. There had to be a reason for the change," Kim said. As for what those changes entail, we'll have to wait and see.
Azula gets an expanded role in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender
Kim went on to reveal that villainous Fire Nation Princess Azula (Elizabeth Yu) plays a large role in season 1. Her casting came as a surprise to fans of the animated series, where she doesn't really become a part of the action until season 2. By introducing her early, the writers can develop her character in a much deeper way.
"We play to that," Kim explained. "We know how big a character Azula becomes in the series, so we had the benefit of hindsight in fleshing out her character and being able to tell a story with her in it in season 1."
Avatar: The Last Airbender premieres February 22 on Netflix. The wait is almost over, folks!
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