THE LAST AIRBENDER Director M. Night Shyamalan Gets Candid About Dropping The Ball On AVATAR Franchise

2010's Avatar: The Last Airbender disappointed fans and received scathing reviews from critics. Now, director M. Night Shyamalan has opened up on where he believes things may have gone wrong with the film.

By JoshWilding - Feb 02, 2023 10:02 AM EST

Filed Under: Other

2010's The Last Airbender was a live-action adaptation of the popular animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, but to say it failed to live up to expectations might be an understatement.

The American anime-influenced TV show has become beloved, with its rich mythology and compelling characters helping it stand out as one of Nickelodeon's best offerings in the mid-2000s. This movie, however, was surrounded by controversy from the start, particularly as white actors ended up being cast in roles inspired by Inuit and East Asian cultures.

While that was undeniably problematic, a bigger issue for the studio was that The Last Airbender received scathing reviews from fans and critics alike, earning a so-so $319 million at the worldwide box office.

Knock at the Cabin helmer M. Night Shyamalan was in charge of the movie, and in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he got candid about where things went wrong.

"All of us go through moments in our lives where we want to be accepted," the filmmaker starts. "We get tired of the fight and having to defend who we are. And tacitly, or sometimes overtly, they’ll say, 'You are wrong for doing it this way. You’re arrogant. If you just do this, this and this, it’ll all work out for you.' And I went, 'OK, maybe you’re right.'"

"So I made a genuine effort to join the system, but I learned that the special thing that makes me happy was hard to do within that system. It was so wonderful to have that opportunity, but there are so many people who are so much better at that kind of storytelling than I am."

"I was looking for others to make me safe," Shyamalan concludes. "I was looking for the system to embrace me and take care of me, but that isn’t the way the world is."

We do believe that the director really tried to make a great movie with The Last Airbender, and there are moments in there that work really well. However, he clearly struggled with the pressures of big budget filmmaking and the lofty expectations that accompany any property based on one as beloved as Avatar.

Now, fans are hoping the franchise will find redemption with an upcoming live-action Netflix series that definitely appears to be sticking closer to the animated series it's based on.

That's expected to arrive on the streaming service next summer. As always, you'll want to keep checking back here for updates on that as we have them.

Anime Themed Cookbook Is Sure To Add Some Much Needed Excitement To Your Kitchen

Recommended For You:

Kenji Kamiyama's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Anime Delayed

DISCLAIMER: AnimeMojo.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

0 Comments

Related Headlines

Other

Anime Themed Cookbook Is Sure To Add Some Much Needed Excitement To Your Kitchen

NateBest

4 days ago

Other

Kenji Kamiyama's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Anime Delayed

MarkJulian

Aug 28, 2023 01:08 PM

Other

SCOTT PILGRIM Anime Won't Be A One-For-One Adaptation Warns Graphic Novel Creator

MarkJulian

Aug 21, 2023 03:08 PM

Related Headlines

Other

Anime Themed Cookbook Is Sure To Add Some Much Needed Excitement To Your Kitchen

NateBest

4 days ago

Other

Kenji Kamiyama's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Anime Delayed

MarkJulian

Aug 28, 2023 01:08 PM

Other

SCOTT PILGRIM Anime Won't Be A One-For-One Adaptation Warns Graphic Novel Creator

MarkJulian

Aug 21, 2023 03:08 PM

Other

SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF Trailer Released As Anime Remake Finally Gets A Premiere Date

JoshWilding

Aug 16, 2023 08:08 AM

Other

RICK AND MORTY: THE ANIME Reveals Energetic OP From Code Of Zero

MarkJulian

Jul 22, 2023 08:07 AM

SUICIDE SQUAD ISEKAI Anime Series In The Works - Check Out The First Teaser Trailer

Other

Crunchyroll

FRIEREN: BEYOND JOURNEY'S END Heading To CRUNCHYROLL This Month

JPD

3 days ago

Naruto

NARUTO X BORUTO Video Game Teases 130 Playable Characters

JPD

3 days ago

Latest Headlines

Video Games

NARUTO, JUJUTSU KAISEN, ONE PIECE And Even More Titles Will Be Included In New Mobile Game

JPD

3 days ago

Crunchyroll

FRIEREN: BEYOND JOURNEY'S END Heading To CRUNCHYROLL This Month

JPD

3 days ago

Naruto

NARUTO X BORUTO Video Game Teases 130 Playable Characters

JPD

3 days ago

Ghibli

Music Artists And Songs Revealed For Upcoming STUDIO GHIBLI Tribute Album

JPD

4 days ago

Video Games

RPG KING OF FIGHTERS ALLSTAR Reveals New Update In CARNIVAL EVENT Drop

JPD

4 days ago

Other

More Comic Book Movies ►

STAR WARS: HEIR TO THE EMPIRE Fan Poster Is Skywalker Saga Sequel We've All Been Waiting For

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

BAMBI Writer Suggests Disney's Live-Action Remake Will Soften The Blow Of THAT Traumatic Moment

More Cartoons & Animated ►

SPIDER-MAN 2: Full List Of Trophies Revealed As Todd McFarlane Weighs In On Harry Osborn As Venom - SPOILERS

More Horror ►

ARGYLLE: Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, Bryce Dallas Howard & More Star In First Trailer For Matthew Vaughn's Latest

More Action Movies & TV ►

AEW Star Skye Blue Reacts To Viral Video Of Her Butt Receiving Just Shy Of 13 Million Views

More Pro Wrestling ►

X-MEN: Marvel Studios' Reboot Reportedly WON'T Include Wolverine In Initial Team Lineup

More Comic Book Movies ►

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

THE LAST AIRBENDER Director M. Night Shyamalan Gets Candid About Dropping The Ball On AVATAR Franchise

2010's Avatar: The Last Airbender disappointed fans and received scathing reviews from critics. Now, director M. Night Shyamalan has opened up on where he believes things may have gone wrong with the film.

Anime Themed Cookbook Is Sure To Add Some Much Needed Excitement To Your Kitchen

Kenji Kamiyama's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Anime Delayed

Anime Themed Cookbook Is Sure To Add Some Much Needed Excitement To Your Kitchen

Kenji Kamiyama's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Anime Delayed

SCOTT PILGRIM Anime Won't Be A One-For-One Adaptation Warns Graphic Novel Creator

Anime Themed Cookbook Is Sure To Add Some Much Needed Excitement To Your Kitchen

Kenji Kamiyama's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Anime Delayed

SCOTT PILGRIM Anime Won't Be A One-For-One Adaptation Warns Graphic Novel Creator

SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF Trailer Released As Anime Remake Finally Gets A Premiere Date

RICK AND MORTY: THE ANIME Reveals Energetic OP From Code Of Zero

SUICIDE SQUAD ISEKAI Anime Series In The Works - Check Out The First Teaser Trailer

Popular Headlines

NARUTO X BORUTO Video Game Teases 130 Playable Characters

NARUTO, JUJUTSU KAISEN, ONE PIECE And Even More Titles Will Be Included In New Mobile Game

FRIEREN: BEYOND JOURNEY'S END Heading To CRUNCHYROLL This Month

Music Artists And Songs Revealed For Upcoming STUDIO GHIBLI Tribute Album

Anime Themed Cookbook Is Sure To Add Some Much Needed Excitement To Your Kitchen

NARUTO, JUJUTSU KAISEN, ONE PIECE And Even More Titles Will Be Included In New Mobile Game

FRIEREN: BEYOND JOURNEY'S END Heading To CRUNCHYROLL This Month

NARUTO X BORUTO Video Game Teases 130 Playable Characters

NARUTO, JUJUTSU KAISEN, ONE PIECE And Even More Titles Will Be Included In New Mobile Game

FRIEREN: BEYOND JOURNEY'S END Heading To CRUNCHYROLL This Month

NARUTO X BORUTO Video Game Teases 130 Playable Characters

Music Artists And Songs Revealed For Upcoming STUDIO GHIBLI Tribute Album

RPG KING OF FIGHTERS ALLSTAR Reveals New Update In CARNIVAL EVENT Drop

Anime Themed Cookbook Is Sure To Add Some Much Needed Excitement To Your Kitchen

Comic Book Movies & TV

X-MEN: Marvel Studios' Reboot Reportedly WON'T Include Wolverine In Initial Team Lineup

SILVER SABLE: It Sounds Like Sony Pictures Has Scrapped Plans For The SPIDER-MAN Character's Solo Outing

VISION QUEST Update Suggests The Disney+ Series Could Be Merged With THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

STAR WARS: HEIR TO THE EMPIRE Fan Poster Is Skywalker Saga Sequel We've All Been Waiting For

STAR WARS: 5 Awesome New Characters Introduced In The Disney Era (And 5 Who Rank Among The Franchise's Worst)

AHSOKA Season Finale Run-Time Revealed Along With Potentially Major SPOILER

Cartoons & Animated Features

BAMBI Writer Suggests Disney's Live-Action Remake Will Soften The Blow Of THAT Traumatic Moment

TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT Starring Hayley Atwell Gets An Exciting First Look Teaser

WISH: Chris Pratt Gets His Villain On In New Trailer And Poster As Full Voice Cast Is Finally Revealed

Gaming

SPIDER-MAN 2: Full List Of Trophies Revealed As Todd McFarlane Weighs In On Harry Osborn As Venom - SPOILERS

SPIDER-MAN 2 Creative Team Tease Post-Credits Scene Plans; Giant-Size Venom Is Unleashed In New Promo

TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT First Look Teaser Officially Released

Horror

SAW X Post-Credits Scene Explained: Do Any Familiar Faces From The Past Return? - SPOILERS

Freeform's 31 Nights Of Halloween Full 2023 Schedule

THE ENFIELD POLTERGEIST Docuseries Drops APPLE TV+ Premiere Date

Action Movies & TV

ARGYLLE: Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, Bryce Dallas Howard & More Star In First Trailer For Matthew Vaughn's Latest

EXPEND4BLES Exclusive Interview With Stunt Coordinator Alan Ng On The Film's Best Fight Sequences

ENTER THE DRAGON Will Be At The Crux Of Ang Lee's BRUCE LEE Biopic

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

AEW Star Skye Blue Reacts To Viral Video Of Her Butt Receiving Just Shy Of 13 Million Views

LA Knight Set To Return During SMACKDOWN Ahead Of Rumored Championship Match Against Roman Reigns

WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels Would Welcome CM Punk To NXT: "He's A Guy That Does Numbers And Makes Money"

Comic Book Movies & TV

X-MEN: Marvel Studios' Reboot Reportedly WON'T Include Wolverine In Initial Team Lineup

SILVER SABLE: It Sounds Like Sony Pictures Has Scrapped Plans For The SPIDER-MAN Character's Solo Outing

VISION QUEST Update Suggests The Disney+ Series Could Be Merged With THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE

BATGIRL Extra Is Suing Warner Bros. Discovery After Suffering Life-Altering Injuries Caused By On-Set Accident

AHSOKA Video Reveals Remaining Footage And Dialogue From Trailers We'll See In Tuesday's Finale

GODZILLA Is On The Rampage On New MINUS ONE Promo Posters

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

STAR WARS: HEIR TO THE EMPIRE Fan Poster Is Skywalker Saga Sequel We've All Been Waiting For

STAR WARS: 5 Awesome New Characters Introduced In The Disney Era (And 5 Who Rank Among The Franchise's Worst)

AHSOKA Season Finale Run-Time Revealed Along With Potentially Major SPOILER

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE Promo Banner Revealed At New York Toy Fair

THE TOXIC AVENGER Red Band Trailer Sees Toxie Take Out The Trash

GODZILLA MINUS ONE Promo Posters Give Us A New Look At The Rampaging King Of The Monsters

Cartoons & Animated Features

BAMBI Writer Suggests Disney's Live-Action Remake Will Soften The Blow Of THAT Traumatic Moment

TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT Starring Hayley Atwell Gets An Exciting First Look Teaser

WISH: Chris Pratt Gets His Villain On In New Trailer And Poster As Full Voice Cast Is Finally Revealed

RICK AND MORTY Co-Creator Dan Harmon Talks Justin Roiland Controversy, Recasting, And Confirms Movie Talks

BLACK PANTHER Director Ryan Coogler's WAKANDA Series Will Now Be Animated; X-MEN '97 Spin-Off In The Works?

PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE Earns A Place In The Guiness Book For 'Most Dogs Attending A Film Screening'

Gaming

SPIDER-MAN 2: Full List Of Trophies Revealed As Todd McFarlane Weighs In On Harry Osborn As Venom - SPOILERS

SPIDER-MAN 2 Creative Team Tease Post-Credits Scene Plans; Giant-Size Venom Is Unleashed In New Promo