Avatar sequel film Aang revives franchise with stunning visuals
The avatar sequel film Aang: The Last Airbender is Avatar Studios’ first animated feature, landing in select theaters and on Paramount+ on July 25. A Variety review highlights breathtaking visuals and a more mature story that picks up more than a decade after the original Nickelodeon series.
Key Takeaways
- Avatar Studios’ first feature, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, streams on Paramount+ on July 25 after a limited awards-qualifying theatrical run in New York and Los Angeles.
- Directed by Lauren Montgomery, the film reunites the core team in adulthood, with Eric Nam as Aang and Steven Yeun as adult Zuko.
- Variety praises gorgeous visuals, thoughtful worldbuilding, and a trauma-focused story that ends a dozen-year gap since The Legend of Korra.
- Dave Bautista, Freida Pinto, and Taika Waititi join returning leads Katara, Sokka, and Toph with new voice casting.
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What is the avatar sequel film Aang about?
According to Variety’s TV review, the story is set more than a decade after the original series. Aang and his friends have ended a century of conflict, and Republic City—later the setting of The Legend of Korra—is newly established.
With peace in place, Aang (Eric Nam) grapples with existential loneliness and hunts Air Nomad relics to reconnect with his ancestry. That search leads him into conflict with a violent sect of non-benders called the Denied, racing to recover a sacred airbender artifact before they can seize it.
Series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko—now co-chief creative officers of Avatar Studios—share story credit with Tim Hedrick and Kenneth Lin. Hedrick and Christopher Yost wrote the screenplay.
Who stars in Avatar Aang and who directed it?
Lauren Montgomery directs the feature, produced by Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, and Avatar Studios. Nam, known for K-pop and The Traitors, voices the older Aang.
Oscar nominee Steven Yeun voices adult Zuko. Dave Bautista plays Tagah, an airbender preserved in ice who offers to teach Aang more Air Nomad ways. Freida Pinto voices Sonam, a mysterious former Avatar Aang communes with for help. Taika Waititi voices a tusked, many-eyed spirit-world creature.
The core crew returns with new performers: Jessica Matten as Katara, Román Zaragoza as Sokka, and Dionne Quan as Toph. Variety notes the casting reflects both the aging of the leads and the franchise’s pull in its third decade.
Where can you watch it, and why does Variety say it matters?
Most fans will not see the film in wide theatrical release. Variety reports it was originally slated for theatrical distribution but now has only a limited awards-qualifying run in New York and L.A., with streaming on Paramount+ on July 25.
The review calls the movie an evolution for the franchise: stunning set pieces—from Air Nomad flashbacks to spirit-world journeys—plus a mature look at how early loss still shapes Aang. It marks the first animated progress since The Legend of Korra ended in 2014.
DiMartino and Konietzko left the Netflix live-action series during development to focus on Avatar Studios; their new series Seven Havens is set to premiere on Paramount+ this fall. Even on a smaller screen, Variety says Avatar Aang still delivers excitement and nostalgia.