The world of Avatar: The Last Airbender is set to expand further, with three new animated movies now in development.
Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation announced these new projects during a special presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where they also revealed that Lauren Montgomery, who previously worked on the acclaimed Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, will direct the first of the three planned Avatar movies.
Several Avatar veterans are returning to assist Montgomery with the first title in the series. Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino, who co-created Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, are re-teaming as producers on this project alongside Eric Coleman, who served as the executive producer and production manager of The Last Airbender series.
"As original creators, Mike and Bryan expand the Avatar universe with us, we're keeping it all in the family with Lauren bringing the same kind of expert, beautiful work she did on the original series to her new directing duties on the forthcoming theatrical," said Ramsey Naito, President of Animation & Development at Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation.
Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation's Executive Vice President of Movies and Global Franchises, Latifa Ouaou, will be overseeing the untitled, animated Avatar film, from its development through to production, alongside Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation's Vice President of Animation Jason McConnell.
All three films are being developed under the Avatar Studios banner, which was launched last year with the goal of creating original series and movies set in the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, for release on Paramount+, Nickelodeon platforms, and unspecified third-party platforms, as well as in cinemas.
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It was also announced last year that Nickelodeon had started to lay the groundwork for an "Avatar Airbender universe" that would encompass multiple TV series and movies across a variety of platforms. Avatar Studios leaders Konietzko and DiMartino noted that "there are still many stories and time periods in Aang's world" to be covered on-screen.
Netflix also has a live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender in the works, however, Konietzko and DiMartino previously departed that project, citing creative differences as the reason for their exit. Executive producer Dan Lin and his production company Rideback remain attached to the series, along with Nickelodeon.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.