World of Avatar: The Last Airbender Expanding With Avatar Studios Launch, Animated Theatrical Film

Nickelodeon is building out the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender with a new division dedicated to the beloved franchise, which will include an theatrical animated film. Deadline reports that the company is launching Avatar Studios, which will create original content from the animated franchise that will include animated series and movies.

Avatar Studios will be headed by original creators and executive producers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who will serve as co-chief creative officers. It will make content for Paramount+ and Nickelodeon, as well as for third-party platforms and theatrical releases. The latter is where the first project will go in an animated film that will begin production later this year.

Avatar: The Last Airbender has been one of Nickelodeon’s most popular franchises of the 21st century. It started with the series of the same name that ran from 2005 to 2008 and centered on Aang, an “airbender” who works elemental magic in a world that include those who can bend various elements to their will. Aang and his friends set out to save the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai and the Fire Nation. The series was followed by the equally-popular Legend of Korra, which ran from 2012 to 2014.

The franchise has expanded out into comics and elsewhere, notably becoming a failed (and derided by the fanbase) live-action film directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender and Korra have grown at least ten-fold in popularity since their original hit runs on Nickelodeon, and Ramsey Naito and I are incredibly excited to have Mike and Bryan’s genius talent on board to helm a studio devoted to expanding their characters and world into new content and formats for fans everywhere,” said Brian Robbins, President, ViacomCBS Kids & Family. “Creator-driven stories and characters have long been the hallmarks of Nickelodeon, and Avatar Studios is a way to give Mike and Bryan the resources and runway to open up their imaginations even more and dive deeper into the action and mythology of Avatar as we simultaneously expand upon that world and the world of content available on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon.”