Avatar Fans Mobilize: Viral Petition Pushes Paramount to Bring The Legend of Aang to Theaters
No reboot, no retread—Avatar Studios’ first animated feature, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, brings Aang back years after the series finale, delivering the long-awaited continuation fans grew up wanting.
Avatar Studios finally brings Aang back with a new animated feature, and then Paramount yanks it from theaters before we even get a trailer. Fans are not taking that well, and honestly, I get it. Here’s what happened and who’s actually in this thing.
The quick version
Back in 2021, Avatar Studios announced its first animated feature film, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. The hook was simple: not a remake, not a reboot, but a continuation set years after the original series, with Aang as an adult. It was pitched as a major theatrical release.
Then Paramount scrapped the big-screen plan. After that announcement, a Change.org petition took off and has now cleared 34,000 signatures. The movie is still dated for October 9, 2026, but now it’s set to drop exclusively on Paramount+.
The petition got messy fast
The surge in signatures started after a comment appeared online under animation director Steve Ahn’s name, blasting unnamed studio higher-ups and demanding the film be put back in theaters immediately. One problem: Ahn says he didn’t write it.
I am truly grateful for the passion shown in the Avatar petition. However, I must clarify that someone has impersonated me and left a misleading comment. I am not the author of that post, and I hope this official clarification prevents any further rumors or false speculation.
He added that he stepped in because the fake post hinted there would be more to share, which could snowball into drama for people actually working on the movie.
As the post mentioned 'continuing to share' in the future, I felt it necessary to clarify this to prevent further issues. I sincerely hope the dedicated artists of this film are not unfairly criticized or put in a difficult position due to such unauthorized comments.
How the crew is taking the streaming pivot
Animator Tom Barkel, who worked on The Legend of Aang and shows like Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Owl House, openly shared how the switch hit him:
Regarding The Legend of Aang going straight to streaming: I’m devastated. As both a massive fan and an artist on the movie, it’s heartbreaking. Everything I’ve seen from this film has been absolutely gorgeous; it really was made to be seen on the big screen.
Ahn’s clarification cleared up the impersonation, but Barkel’s reaction is a good reminder: this isn’t just a fan disappointment; it stings for the artists, too.
What the movie actually is
This is an in-universe continuation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, set many years after the show with an older Aang leading the story. Lauren Montgomery and William Mata direct; both have Avatar experience, and franchise creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are involved. It’s a fresh voice cast across the board — none of the original TV cast is returning.
- Eric Nam as Aang (older)
- Steven Yeun as Zuko
- Jessica Matten as Katara
- Roman Zaragoza as Sokka
- Dionne Quan as Toph
- Dave Bautista as one of the villains
- Ke Huy Quan (role TBA)
- Taika Waititi (role TBA)
Release plan, now
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender is dated for October 9, 2026, and as of now it’s a Paramount+ exclusive. Not exactly the theatrical victory lap a lot of people expected for Avatar Studios’ first feature, but that’s the plan.
Would you still push for a theatrical run, even a limited one? Drop your take below.