Netflix saw another successful TV show release with "Avatar: The Last Airbender," partly because there was already a fanbase to appeal to. Despite a huge number in viewership, the show still got a lot of negative reviews from fans of the animated series it was based on.
Albert Kim Leaves Netflix
Even before the show was released, there was already a lot of pressure on 'Avatar: The Last Airbender" showrunner Albert Kim. Following the disastrous film adaptation of M. Night Shyamalan, Kim had to get it just right to avoid being put in the same position.
Most can say that Kim mostly stuck to the source material, from casting to the story. Although it's not clear why, the showrunner is leaving Netflix. The position will instead fall on two new executive producers, Jabbar Raisani and Christine Boylan, as per The Verge.
Weirdly enough, Kim was already a replacement for the previous showrunners as well. The original creators of the animated show, Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, decided to leave Netflix due to "creative differences."
Fans already took that as a sign that Netflix might not be respecting the source material the way it should, which led some to expect the worst from the show. Still, the show's renewal for two more seasons shows that the streaming service is confident that it will do well.
The two will have a lot of work ahead of them, especially since the show has been renewed for two more seasons. Not only that, season two will also bring a new character that will play a huge part in the group as Aang's earthbending teacher.
Just like the rest of the main characters, the casting for Toph would be tricky. The earthbender is quite young but has a steely resolve, not to mention a personality they need to get right as it could make or break the second season.
Among the many criticisms of the show, fans pointed out that live-action Aang lacked the enthusiasm of the animated version, and that Katara needed to work on her facial expressions. Seeing Katara actor Kiawentiio's previous works, others pointed to the director for the acting flaw.
Kim is Heading to Disney Plus
From one popular show to another, Albert Kim is heading to Disney Plus to work on one of its biggest shows, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." What's funny is that both franchises went through the same thing when it came to disappointing fans.
The "Percy Jackson" book series was also adapted into a film starring Logan Lerman, but the movie strayed so far from the books that even the author, Rick Riordan, hated them. This time around, Riordan is keeping a close eye on the show to make sure that it does the source material justice.
The first season of the Greek mythology-themed series was also a success, although as expected, it faced a lot of backlash from fans who wanted book-accurate characters, a lot of whom backed off when they saw that the actors managed to capture the characters' personalities.
