Summary
TheAvatar: The Last Airbenderfranchise has made itself a household name and a shining beacon of the animation industry through two different iterations, and now the franchise is taking a step further with a brand new lead for a third series.
Avatar: The Last Airbenderwas an instant classic from the moment it premiered in 2005, with the Nickelodeon show going above and beyond its professed audience and drawing in viewers of all ages. Heavily inspired by Eastern martial arts and aesthetics andleveraging the four classical elements in creating its prominent magic system,The Legend of Aangtranscended the usual bounds of Western animation at the time and became a true staple of television. The show’s success paved the way forThe Legend of Korra,chronicling the adventures of the next Avatar in the line of succession. While that second show was more divisive than the first entry, it was still a strong performer for Nickelodeon and greatly expanded the lore of the series, ending its four-season run with new, interesting questions on the table and a fanbase eager to get some more.
Fans would get some great news when it was confirmed thatnew projects based onAvatar: The Last Airbenderwere in the works from the series creatorsvia the newly instituted Avatar Studios division, and now the follow-up that everyone’s been waiting for is official. A new show, titledAvatar: Seven Havens,has finally been announced via thefranchise’s official Instagram account. Set to span two 13-episode seasons (styled as books as in previous seasons), the show will continue the franchise’s story from whereThe Legend of Korraleft off a decade ago. President of both Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, Ramsey Naito, released an official statement concerning the new series that reads, “For two decades, the richly crafted world of Avatar: The Last Airbender has introduced audiences to a world of compelling characters and groundbreaking storylines, captivating fans globally. We can’t wait to embark on the next chapter of this epic saga, with a new story set within the Avatarverse, envisioned by the original creators, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.” The Instagram post also featured the upcoming show’s official logline.
Avatar: Seven Havensis set in a world shattered by a devastating cataclysm, young Earthbender discovers she’s the new Avatar after Korra - but in this dangerous era, that title marks her as humanity’s destroyer, not its savior. Hunted by both human and spirit enemies, she and her long-lost twin must uncover their mysterious origins and save the Seven Havens before civilization’s last strongholds collapse.
As the worldbuilding has become more and more expansive over the course of the preceding shows, it’s been a popular opinion thatfutureAvatar: The Last Airbenderprojects should further explore its lore, and the franchise’s original creators are excited to get a chance to do just that with the upcoming show. Franchise creators DiMartino and Konietzko released a statement concerning the new show saying, “When we created the original series, we never imagined we’d still be expanding the world decades later. This new incarnation of the Avatarverse is full of fantasy, mystery, and a whole new cast of amazing characters. Get ready to take another epic and emotional adventure!” Both creators were integral to the formation of Avatar Studios at Nickelodeon, taking on the roles after departing Netflix’s live-action adaptation due to creative differences. Nickelodeon has announced that details on cast and more will be rolled out over the next few months.
With the announcement of Avatar: Seven Havens and the prospect of theAvatar: The Last Airbenderanimated film also in the workswith Dave Bautista joining the voice cast, fans are really getting the best out of Paramount and Nickelodeon’s renewed focus on the beloved IP. While the show is still in the earliest stages of production and is sure to be a long way off from completion, fans have already waited a decade for another Avatar to emerge, so another year or two shouldn’t be too much to handle. In the meantime, it should be a treat to follow along with the casting,
