How Stranger Things Helped The Live-Action Avatar: The Last Airbender Conquer Fire
After more than five years, Netflix's long-awaited reimagining of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is finally coming to fruition in February. The live-action series will take the beloved Nickelodeon animated show and attempt to bring it to life in a new medium for a new generation. Or, presumably, the same generation of fans that loved the original and who are hoping to capture that same magic. While the final verdict has yet to be determined, Netflix used every tool at its disposal to bring the airbenders, earthbenders, waterbenders, and firebenders to life. That included borrowing a few tricks learned from another one of the streamer's big hit shows, "Stranger Things."
Entertainment Weekly recently published a comprehensive preview of the live-action "Avatar: The Last Airbender" series. In speaking about bringing the firebending abilities to life, it was explained that "Stranger Things" season 4 had a direct influence on that front. The same visual effects supervisor's team also worked on that show, which gave them some experience in this area. The "team used a lot of the same fire references — particularly from season 4 when David Harbour lights up a Demogorgon — to dictate the firebending," the report revealed.
Netflix has spent some serious money on shows like "Stranger Things" in the past and has learned a thing or two about how to bring blockbuster visual effects to life on a TV budget — even if that budget is sizable. The original "Avatar" benefitted from existing purely as animation, a medium where anything is possible. Translating that to live-action is no small task. But what is possible in the world of the Upside Down is also possible in the world of benders of the elements.
Taming the elements in the world of Avatar
As tricky as getting the firebending right was, it was a waterbending shot in the first season that proved to be one of the most difficult to pull off. Director/executive producer Jabbar Raisani also spoke with EW and, without giving it away, explained that they had to find a way to make water do something it doesn't do in our world.
"It's just doing something that water really doesn't do. We all understand how water moves in our world. We're purposely defying all the rules, but trying to make it look like it is obeying the rules. It's a really hard thing to get right."
Though the new series will not be a one-to-one adaptation, it once again follows Aang, the young Avatar, as he learns to master the four elements to restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation. The creators of the animated series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, were originally involved but departed in late 2020 over creative differences. Albert Kim ("Sleepy Hollow" ) now serves as the showrunner.
The cast for the series is led by Gordon Cormier as Aang. The ensemble includes Kiawentiio ("Rutherford Falls"), Ian Ousley ("13 Reasons Why"), Dallas Liu ("Pen15"), Paul Sun-Hyung Lee ("Kim's Convenience"), Daniel Dae Kim ("Hawaii Five-O"), and Ken Leung ("Missing").
"Avatar: The Last Airbender" premieres February 22, 2024 on Netflix