Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender Gets Awards-Qualifying Cinema Run
Nearly two decades after it first went off the air, Avatar: The Last Airbender remains as popular as ever. The series originally ran between 2005 and 2008, but has been discovered by later generations of fans via streaming and boxset releases. The sequel series The Legend of Korra followed in 2013, but since then, it has been pretty quiet on the Avatar front. In 2021 Nickelodeon announced the establishment of Avatar Studios to create brand new animation in the Avatar world. The first project from the studio was set to be an animated feature that would continue the story of original Avatar Aang.
Now, some five years later, fans are anticipating the release of the film. There was disappointing news, however, when Paramount cancelled the film's theatrical release in favour of a release straight to Paramount Plus. With the streaming release just around the corner, it has been announced that the film will be getting a cinema release after all: in Los Angeles and New York.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (originally titled The Legend Of Aang) will be getting a limited run in cinemas, in order to qualify for consideration for the Best Animated Feature Oscar (and other awards). It will be screening at AMC Burbank Town Center 6 in LA and Manhattan’s AMC Empire 25 in New York City. The film will be showing from July 24-30. Tickets are available now.
The film will also be screening at the SanDiego Comic Con on July 24. There will also be a panel with the film's voice cast and creative team.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender stars Eric Nam as the titular Aang, Dave Bautista as new big bad Tagah, Jessica Matten as Katara, Román Zaragoza as Sokka, Steven Yeun as Zuko and Dionne Quan as Toph, alongside newcomers Freida Pinto, Ke Huy Quan, Taika Waititi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ronny Chieng and Ken Jeong. Dee Bradley Baker returns as Aang’s pets, Appa and Momo.
The film was directed by Lauren Montgomery and co-directed by Steve Ahn and William Matta. It was produced by Latifa Ouaou, Maryann Garger, and original series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino. The screenplay was written by Tim Hedrick and Christopher Yost, based on a story by Konietzko, DiMartino, Hedrick and Kenneth Lin.
The plot follows a now adult Aang, who learns of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction. With the help of his friends, he embarks on a global quest to find it before it falls into the wrong hands.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender will stream on Paramount Plus from July 25.
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