The Last Airbender Trilogy Update
By Krystal Clark
M. Night Shyamalan‘s The Last Airbender has plenty of hype surrounding it due to it’s die hard Nickelodeon fan base, and the newbies who’ve just discovered the trailer. Either way the director and producers know that something amazing can be done with this story, so it’s no surprise that Shyamalan intends on turning The Last Airbender into a trilogy. Many reports suggested that after it’s 2010 debut, the next two installments would be filmed back to back, but according to Starlog that’s not the case.
“We’re shooting them one at a time, because they’re being written one at a time,” says veteran producer (and STARLOG favorite) Frank Marshall. “Night is now working on the script for the second movie, but he hasn’t had time to write the second or third ones. He’s looking at the arc of all three. One of the things we’ll be doing is using the sets, ships and elements for each different nation in this film and incorporating them into movies two and three. We’re not waiting. There just isn’t enough time. Night will finish this movie, then the script and then we’ll prepare for the next one. I think it’ll probably happen over six years.”
The Last Airbender TV series lasted three season’s, so I have to know from the die hard fans out there…do the main characters significantly age? In the film/show Aang is a young kid and in the first live action installment he will be played by Noah Ringer, who I believe is 12 years old. So, I’m wondering if the story will adjust to the actor’s age a la Harry Potter? In six years the kid will be 18, will that fit?
I will admit that when I saw the teaser trailer for this film before Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, I realized that I needed the movie in my life. Looking back I recognize that I was more entertained by that than the entire two plus hours of Transformers? Weird.
What do you think of M. Night creating a Last Airbender trilogy? Do you think they should do them back to back considering the actors/characters ages?
Friday, July 3, 2009 12:14AM
The characters actually don't really age that much.. I believe the story is a little over a year. Keep in mind that it's only 22 episodes (except for the final season where it was 24) with a lot of filler material in the first and third seasons. The third season had episodes that happened one day after another, so it didn't really count that way. I guess it would make sense for the movie, you see the movie mature, and the theme did sort of get a little darker near the end of the second season and a few episodes in the third season, while still retaining it's charm for the younger audience.
Friday, July 3, 2009 12:27AM
I don't know how shyamalan is going to manage doing these films over 6 years. In the three seasons of the animated show only about a year passes so the characters don't really age. It won't work if aang if Noah ringer is 12 in the first film and then 18 in the third.
I guess shyamalan could tweak the story so that sozin's comet doesn't come for three years instead of one.
Friday, July 3, 2009 5:29AM
Did you see the same trailer I did? I know Transformers wasn't anything remarkable, but it wasn't that boring, just pastiche.
I don't know how they can do a trilogy if they take 6 years with it. I was thinking they could just have the rise of the fire nation take more than a year, but the age discrepancy would still be obvious. Maybe a side effect of being the avatar could be fast aging? I dunno, I don't think an Avatar movie is necessary since the TV show was perfectly fine, but that's just moi.
Friday, July 3, 2009 9:37PM
As probably previously said, the kids only age a year as in the last ten minutes of the show, there is a scene with Zuko and Aang talking before Zuko's coronation begins, and they say something along the lines of:
Zuko: "I can't believe a year ago, my purpose in life was capturing you."
Aang: "I can't believe a year ago I was still stuck in an iceburg!"
Or something like that :] So, they only age one year in all three seasons.
Saturday, July 4, 2009 2:35AM
That's going to be difficult, doing it over six years, because (and I'm one of those die hard fans mentioned) the characters don't age almost at all. Aang is twelve, which seems really young for the stuff that he goes through, and then Katara is fourteen, Sokka is fifteen, and Toph I think is thirteen. I hope, however, that M Night makes the movies slightly less than canon becuase I've always seen all of the characters as at least two or three years older than they actually are in the series. It just seems like the story was meant for older characters and then aged down to fit into the Nickelodeon audiences. I wonder how different the movies would be if they were geared older, like I've always thought they should have been. Hmmmm….I'm still slightly apprehensive about this movie, but I guess we'll only be able to pass judgment on it when we've seen it. Only 1 year and six more days.
Monday, July 6, 2009 3:36PM
The entire show takes place in a period less than a year. The first season is the winter, 2nd is in the spring and the 3rd is the summer…so, about 6-9 months. The Fire Nation is quickly taking over once Aang awakens from the iceberg, and the only characters rumored to have a birthday during those months is Zuko and maybe Toph (she comes in the second season), but they are never celebrated.
I dunno how he is going to pull it off….
Thursday, July 9, 2009 9:22PM
Aang is 12, Toph is 12, Katara is 14, Sokka starts out as 15, Zuko is 16, Azula is 14, Roku is 60.
Friday, July 10, 2009 10:01PM
they do age a little each season.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 6:53AM
As we all know, blah blah blah. Just because he's basing it off of the animated series doesn't mean he has to bite it word-for-word, season-by-season. Sheez. If he's going to do that then what's the point of a live action Avatar? Might as well save your money and time and buy the complete seasons of the series. Of COURSE he's going to use some creative license, tweak things a bit and make it his own. That's why he's "writing a script" for each movie. And if producing all of the movies is going to take six years, I'm sure M. Night is pretty aware of that.
So no. If it's going to take six years to make the most kick butt trilogy ever then I don't mind the wait. I'd rather wait and have something great at the end of it all instead of having something chewed up and spit out onto a movie screen and call it a burning pile of garbage.
And yes. I think I enjoyed the trailer far more than Rise of the Fallen as well. And I watched that movie twice already.
Monday, July 27, 2009 11:00PM
Oh and in the show, Aang isn't white, neither are Katara and Sokka (They're suppose to be Native, while Aang is East Asian) and Zuko isn't really Indian (He's East Asian)
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 6:08PM
WOW. The only casting that really gets me is Zuko. DEV PATEL? ARE YOU JOKING? Zuko is (or was) my favorite character! It bothers me that A) he's indian (as opposed to the Asian Zuko in the series) B) They completely ignored his season 1 hairdo (PONYTAIL!) and C) You can't see the scar. It is EXTREMELY noticeable throughout the show.
Monday, August 17, 2009 6:13PM
Here Here!!!
Sunday, May 16, 2010 11:58PM
The TV series covered only a span of 2 months, as indicated by a conversation in the first season between Aang and Katara, saying that they only had about 2 months for Aang to learn all four elements before Sozin's comet arrives and the last of the series ended with a three-part episode on the arrival of Sozin's comet and the invasion of the Fire Nation into the Earth Kingdom. (For the second time)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 10:19PM
Actually, the series lasted just a little bit longer than that…around 5-6 months. The series ran from before the Winter Solstice(2 Parter) to after the Spring Solstice(Avatar and The Firelord). I can understand the direction of not making a back-to-back trilogy because they're uncertain about how the film will respond in the box offices, but SIX years is way too long of a span for this film series. It's a nice Hollywood trick to save face for the audience due to their uncertainty about the film's results.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 10:52AM
the count down is almost over it is 2 days until the moie the last airbender comes out. I think i am avatar the last airbender's #1 fan. I am very crazed about the movie and he TV show. But what i dont understand is how M Night is going to ajust the movie because in the beginning aang will be 12, katara will be 14, sokka will be 16, zuko will be 16, suki will be 15, and uncle iroh will be 64. It is now that i say in the 3rd movie of the last airbender aang will be 18, katara will be 20, sokka will be 22, zuko will be 22, suki will be 21 and uncle iroh will be 70. Maby M Night will use the camara efects to make the characters seem more younger like they were in the 1st movie. this is from avatar the last airbender's #1 fan enjoy the movie.
Saturday, July 31, 2010 12:36AM
If Zuko is an Indian whats the problem? Soon a white man (Reeves) will be playing Shri Ram.An Indian playing an Asian is much closer than a white man playing a Hindu God. They are movies and actors. Thats all.