A Live-Action, Non-Whitewashed 'Avatar' Is Coming to Netflix!

Good news Team Avatar! Streaming giant Netflix just announced that a new, live-action version of the beloved, epic series Avatar: The Last Airbender is in the works! And even better news is that IT WON'T BE WHITEWASHED!!

*shrieks in excitement*

For those who haven't seen it (you're seriously missing out), Avatar: The Last Airbender originally ran from 2005-2008 on Nickelodeon and takes place in a fictional world where "benders" have the ability to control elements (either Earth, Fire, Water, or Air). The show follows Aang, the Avatar (a special bender with the ability to control all four elements) as he and his friends Katara, Sokka, and Toph try to defeat the militarized nation of Firebenders from taking over the entire world. 

One of the reasons the critically-acclaimed, Emmy-winning series has such a good fan-following (even after so many years) is that the show created a universe that was inspired by East Asian and Inuit cultures and had an entire non-white cast of characters. It was something that had never really been done by a Western amimated series before, and viewers, especially Asian-American viewers, from diverse walks of life clung to it. (The series even inspired a very queer, sequel series entitled The Legend of Korra!)

That's why it was such a disappointment when a theatrical, live-action movie based off the series was created by M. Night Shyamalan in 2010 and featured a predominantly white lead cast. But fast-forward 8 years later, and it looks like Netflix is ready to give Avatar: The Last Airbender the diverse live-action adaptation it so rightfully deserves!

"We’re thrilled for the opportunity to helm this live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. We can’t wait to realize Aang’s world as cinematically as we always imagined it to be, and with a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast," Avatar's original creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino said in a statement. (According to The Mary Sue, the two will serve as executive producers and showrunners for the Netflix version.)

"It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build upon everyone’s great work on the original animated series and go even deeper into the characters, story, action, and world-building. Netflix is wholly dedicated to manifesting our vision for this retelling, and we’re incredibly grateful to be partnering with them."

Production for the new, live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender is set to start in 2019! While we wait for that, we'll be hyping ourselves up by binge-watching the original animated series!