The Nickelodeon show, launched in the mid-2000s, was one of the most popular cartoons and received multiple awards for a children’s show.
Production for Netflix’s live-action adaptation series of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” begins this year and the streaming giant has finally revealed the core cast.
Gordon Cormier is to play as Aang (Gabby Duran and the Unsittables), Kiawentiio as Katara (Beans), Ian Ousley as Sokka (Physical), and Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko (PEN15).
The Nickelodeon show, launched in the mid-2000s, was one of the most popular cartoons and received multiple awards for a children’s show.
The sequel series, “Legend of Korra,” also received substantial acclaim in 2012.
The live-action adaptation was ordered at Netflix in 2018 and was initially supported by the shows’ creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
Both DiMartino and Konietzko left the Netflix production in 2020 saying their “creative vision” was not supported by Netflix.
"When Netflix brought me on board to run this series alongside Mike [DiMartino] two years ago, they made a very public promise to support our vision," Konietzko wrote. "Unfortunately there was no follow-through on that promise."
This worried a lot of fans after the 2010 live-action movie adaptation by M. Night Shyamalan bombed the cinemas with fans disappointed with the “whitewashed” cast and plot changes.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” is set in a fantastical universe heavily inspired by the Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Inuit cultures.
Fans were hoping to keep the original creators at the helm to keep the show culturally appropriate.
With the announcement of the Netflix cast, some fans breathed a sigh of relief.
Gordon Cormier is a Filipino-Canadian actor who also stars as Joe in an upcoming Paramount series, The Stand alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgard, and James Marsden.
The young actress, Kiawentiio grew up in Canada, in the Mohawk Nation territory of Akwesasne. She was named "One to Watch" by the Vancouver Film Critics Circle for her role in the semi-autobiographical film, Beans.
A member of the Cherokee tribe in America, Ian Ousley has acted in Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why and CBS’ Young Sheldon. Ousley has also competed in several Taekwondo championships in his high school days.
Dallas Liu is an American actor with Chinese-Indonesian ancestry who has portrayed characters with martial arts knowledge such as a young Jun Kazama in Tekken (2010) and a young Bi Han in Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2013).
The actress for the character Toph has yet to be announced.
Netflix also confirmed Albert Kim as the show’s writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Roseanne Liang is co-executive producer and Goi, Roseanne Liang, and Jabbar Raisani will serve as directors.
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