Avatar: The Last Bender probably holds the record for the best TV series with the worst movie adaptation. That’s set to change with the new Avatar: The Last Airbender anime movies, the first of which just got a major update.
Avatar: The Last Airbender was a hugely popular kids anime series that ran between 2005 and 2008. It followed Aang, an Avatar in control over the four ‘bending’ abilities, as he sought to learn more about his powers and overthrow the tyrannical Fire Nation. Its huge popularity led to a live-action movie adaptation of the animated series, which was panned by fans of the series and critics alike.
Since then, Avatar: The Last Airbender has received a follow-on spin-off series titled The Legend of Korra, which was much better received and seen as many to be a worthy successor. The Legend of Korra ended in 2014, and now, close to a decade later, Avatar: The Last Airbender is being revisited. Earlier in 2022, it was revealed that three animated follow-up movies to Avatar: The Last Airbender were in production.
Now, the first of those three fantasy movies has got a release date. Variety reports that the first Avatar: The Last Airbender movie now has a release date of October 10, 2025. Given that the movies were only announced earlier in the year, that’s probably a lot sooner than many Avatar: The Last Airbender fans were expecting.
While the movie would have a hard time being any worse than the first Avatar: The Last Airbender movie, it remains to be seen whether it will be able to live up to the two Avatar TV series. Details about plot, cast, and more remain sparse, but with a release date many fans will feel that the new Avatar movie series just got a lot more real.
For more on the other Avatar movie series (you know, the science fiction movie one) check out our guide to the upcoming Avatar 2.