Well, let’s start with the big one. The resurfacing of Avatar: The Last Airbender which premiered on Netflix on May 18, which also happened to be the show’s first day in the #1 position. Right away, Avatar commanded the Top 10 and wouldn’t let go of the top spot for five days.

From there, Avatar began its record-breaking run. While the show would never achieve the #1 position again, Avatar would remain on the Top 10 for an astonishing 61 days. That’s the longest streak ever made on Netflix, more than Ozark, more than Outer Banks, more than Love is Blind.

Many of the ATLA fans madly keen on the planned live-action version of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” being produced by Netflix are now calling for a boycott. This is solely because the original creators are no longer working on that adaptation.

Michael Dante DiMartino posted an open letter on his site Wednesday announcing that he and fellow creator Bryan Konietzko have exited the project, mainly due to creative differences despite Netflix’s promise to support his and Bryan Konietzko’s creative vision for the series, but did not “follow-through”.

“Many of you have been asking me for updates about the Avatar live-action Netflix series,” DiMartino wrote. “I can finally tell you that I am no longer involved with the project. In June of this year, after two years of development work, Bryan Konietzko and I made the difficult decision to leave the production.”

The critically acclaimed animated “Avatar: The Last Airbender” ran on Nickelodeon from February 2005 to July 2008, imprinting itself in the minds and hearts of many young people.

DiMartino explained that he and Konietzko signed on to the project in 2018 and were hired as executive producers and showrunners.

“In a joint announcement for the series, Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series.” he wrote. “And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not go as we had hoped.”

“Look, things happen. Productions are challenging. Unforeseen events arise,” he added. “Plans have to change. And when those things have happened at other points during my career, I try to be like an Air Nomad and adapt.”

DiMartino did not belittle the production, despite no longer being involved.

“Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good,” he wrote. “It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying. But what I can be certain about is that whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make.”

He also said he will continue to be involved in the “Avatar” universe, interest in which has amped up given Netflix streaming the animated “The Last Airbender” and its sequel, “Legend of Korra.”

When Is The Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender Release Date On Netflix?

Netflix announced their plans in 2018, as it turns out, the live-action remake of The Last Airbender doesn’t yet have a scheduled release date. Production was due to begin in 2019, however, the show is still in the pre-production stages of the development and has not moved forward as far as we know.

As of May 2019, Bryan Konietzko explained how he and his team had moved into the next phase of production, but things were moving slow. Knowing what we know now, it could be what was going on Behind-the-scenes with the creators and Netflix.

2020 was supposed to begin production, unfortunately, the global health crisis and Hollywood-wide production shutdowns delayed the adaptation even further. 

Casting Of The Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender On Netflix

Unfortunately, no casting announcements have been made as of yet. Despite various setbacks, the creators are greatly committed to casting actors who are ethnically appropriate.

DiMartino said, “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. 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 manifest our vision for this retelling, and we’re incredibly grateful to be partnering with them.”

Konietzko called for an open casting, which was supposed to take place in 2019, but it was delayed. Now despite the original creators leaving the series, one can only hope that the casting for the show will be ethnically appropriate as promised and that the show is not a replica of one 2010 movie that shall not be mentioned.