AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Creators Quit Netflix's Live-Action Adaptation Over 'Creative Direction'

A couple of years ago, Avatar: The Last Airbender fans were excited to learn that Netflix was going to develop a live-action series adaptation. What made this project even more appealing was the fact that series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko were going to be involved.

DiMartino and Konietzko were attached as executive producers and showrunners on the series, but unfortunately, they’ve announced that they have quit the project over the “creative direction” it was going. This is certainly disheartening news, and it’s not going to make fans happy. In fact, this is the kind of thing that will cast a dark shadow over the project.

DiMartino announced the news in a post he shared on his website titled “An open letter to Avatar: The Last Airbender fans.” It explains that they are exiting because they couldn’t “control the creative direction of the series.” You can read most of his open letter below:

When Bryan and I signed on to the project in 2018, we 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. 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. 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. I do my best to go with the flow, no matter what obstacle is put in my way. But even an Air Nomad knows when it’s time to cut their losses and move on.

I started to reevaluate what is truly important in my life and what I wanted to do with what’s left of it. I took some advice from Uncle Iroh. I looked inward and started asking myself the big question: “Who are you and what do you want?”

I also sought wisdom from Stoic philosophers who were big on differentiating between what is within our control and what isn’t. I realized I couldn’t control the creative direction of the series, but I could control how I responded. So, I chose to leave the project. It was the hardest professional decision I’ve ever had to make, and certainly not one that I took lightly, but it was necessary for my happiness and creative integrity. 

And who knows? Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good. 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.

I also want to be clear that this doesn’t mean the end of my involvement in the Avatar universe. These stories and characters are important to me and the renewed interest and excitement in Avatar and Korra has been inspiring to see.

Writing this letter has left me with a very heavy heart. I know many of you will be disappointed and frustrated by this news. I get it. I share your disappointment and frustration. I also recognize this creative setback is small compared to the problems we’re all facing as a society right now.

Thankfully, Iroh offered some wisdom for that, too: “Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving you will come to a better place.”

May we all keep moving and come to a better place.

Thanks for reading and for your continued enthusiasm for the Avatar universe.

With gratitude,

Michael Dante DiMartino

Netflix plans on moving forward without them on the project, and while they say it has the potential to be good, this is still a big blow for the fans. One of the biggest reasons I was initially excited about this was that the creators of the series were involved and that we would get to see their vision for a live-action show. Well, that’s no longer the case.

I guess Netflix doesn’t offer the kind of creative freedom to their talent that we thought they did! I’m pretty sure that Netflix just lost a lot of goodwill over this news.