The Last Airbender (film)
A live-action adaptation of the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The Last Airbender is a 2010 American fantasy action-adventure film. It adapts the first season of the animated series *Avatar: The Last Airbender* (2005–2008). M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed the movie. The cast includes Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, and Cliff Curtis. The story follows Aang, a young Avatar who needs to learn to control air, water, earth, and fire to restore balance and stop the Fire Nation from taking over the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom. Development started in January 2007. Casting and pre-production happened in 2008. Principal photography ran from March to September 2009, with two weeks of shooting in Greenland and the rest in Pennsylvania. Post-production began in August and took months because of heavy visual effects. The title dropped "Avatar" to avoid confusion with James Cameron's 2009 film *Avatar*. The film premiered at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on June 30, 2010, and was released in U.S. theaters the next day by Paramount Pictures. Critics, audiences, and fans of the animated series universally panned it. Some praised Lesnie's cinematography and Howard's musical score. It is often called one of the worst films ever made, and both fans and the original series' creators have publicly disowned it. Although it made a profit at the box office—$319.7 million worldwide against a $150 million budget—it was seen as a box-office disappointment. The harsh reviews and disappointing earnings led the studio to cancel a planned trilogy. A live-action Netflix series adaptation of the original animated show premiered fourteen years later to a better reception. A century after the Fire Nation declared war on the other three nations, Sokka and his sister Katara from the Southern Water Tribe find an unusual iceberg. Breaking it releases a beam of light and reveals a twelve-year-old boy named Aang and his flying bison, Appa. Disgraced Fire Nation prince Zuko sees the light and demands the villagers hand over the Avatar—the only person who can bend all four elements. Aang surrenders to save the village but escapes the Fire Nation ship and flies to Appa, brought by Katara and Sokka.
- Release year
- 2010
- Director
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Budget
- $150 million
- Box office
- $319.7 million worldwide
- Based on
- Avatar: The Last Airbender (season one)
- Production companies
- Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies
Lore & Background
Development for the film began in January 2007, with casting and pre-production taking place in 2008. Principal photography began in March 2009 and ended in September, with two weeks' shooting in Greenland, and the rest of the film being shot in various locations in Pennsylvania, United States. Post-production began in August and took several months due to the extensive visual effects. The name Avatar was dropped from the title to avoid confusion with James Cameron's 2009 film, Avatar.
Reader's Guide
The Last Airbender premiered at the Alice Tully Hall in New York City on June 30, 2010, and was theatrically released in the United States the following day by Paramount Pictures. It is often considered one of the worst films of all time, and has been publicly disavowed by fans and the creators of the original series. Despite the film making a profit at the box office, grossing $319.7 million worldwide against a $150 million budget, it was still considered a box-office disappointment. The film's scathing critical reception and disappointing box-office results caused the studio to cancel a planned trilogy of films. A live-action television series adaptation of the original animated series produced by Netflix would premiere fourteen years later to an improved reception.
Did You Know?
- The film's title was changed from Avatar: The Last Airbender to The Last Airbender to avoid confusion with James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar.
- The film's budget was $150 million, with over $130 million spent on marketing costs, making it Shyamalan's most expensive film.
Elsewhere in Avatar The Last Airbender
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