If
you're a fan of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender,' get ready, because the
franchise's new animated film now has an official name. Although the project was
announced in 2021, hardly any news has come out about it, but now Paramount
Animation finally revealed some information at its CinemaCon
presentation: it will be called 'The Legend of Aang: The Last
Airbender.'
The announcement came alongside news of other projects from the studio, including a sequel to ' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem ,' a new ' Smurfs ' movie , and the next ' SpongeBob SquarePants ' installment, titled ' The Spongebob Movie: The Search for Squarepants .'
Originally,
the film was going to be called simply 'Aang: The Last Airbender,' but now has
a more epic name. The story will take us back to the Avatar universe,
where some people can control all four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. According
to the official synopsis: " In a world ravaged by war and
dominated by elemental powers, a young boy awakens to embark on a dangerous
mystical quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar and bring peace to the
world ."
As you may
recall, Aang was the last airbender and the only one who could control all four
elements, a key factor in defeating the Fire Nation in the original
series. Although the exact plot hasn't been revealed, it's said that
the film will show what happened after the series finale, when Aang and his
team managed to defeat Ozai.
This means
we could see an older Aang, facing the responsibilities of being the Avatar in
a world still trying to recover from the war. It's also possible we'll
see some events that connect with The Legend of Korra, which already featured
flashbacks of Aang and company.
Since
its premiere in 2005, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" has sparked an
enduring debate among fans of the genre: can it be considered an anime or not? On the one hand, it's clearly
inspired by Japanese animation, with a serialized story, deep character
development, and an artistic style reminiscent of series like "Fullmetal
Alchemist" or "Naruto." In fact, the studios responsible
for the original animation, such as DR Movie and JM Animation, are located in
South Korea, where they work with techniques similar to those of Japanese
anime.
However,
the series was created in the United States by Nickelodeon, which classifies it
as a Western animation franchise. For many purists, an anime can only
be considered as such if it's produced in Japan. With the announcement
of this new film, the debate has resurfaced on social media, with some
arguing that Avatar deserves to be recognized as an anime due to its influence
and style, while others insist that, by definition, it's still a Western
series. What's undeniable is that the franchise remains one of the
most beloved and popular in the world, no matter how it's classified.
This
film isn't a one-off project, as it will be the first of three animated films
based on the Avatar universe. Directed by Lauren Montgomery and William Mata, this film promises
to be a great comeback for fans of the original series, especially now that the
franchise is back in the spotlight thanks to its live-action adaptation on
Netflix. The theatrical release of The Legend of Aang: The Last
Airbender is scheduled for January 30, 2026. It's a while off, but at
least we know it's still on the way!
