A new live-action version of Nickelodeon’s beloved animated series, Avatar, is coming! The story is about Aanga young master, who learns to master the four elements (water, earth, fire and air) to restore balance to a world that is threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation.
Water, Earth, Fire and Air, long ago, the four nations of the world lived in harmonysince the Avatar kept peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and decimated the air nomads, the firebenders’ first step in conquering the world.
Without a new incarnation of the Avatar, desolation reigns. But among so much darkness, a new ray of hope appears when Aang (Gordon Cormier), a young man belonging to the Air nomads (the last of that people) awakens to claim his destiny: to be the next Avatar.
With the help of his new friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) y Katara (Kiawentiio), brothers and members of the Southern Water tribe, embark on a fantastic action-packed adventure to fight against the fearsome Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim) and save the world.
But the crown prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) is lurking, so it won’t be an easy task. They will need the help of many friends and allies to carry out their mission.
Avatar the last Airbender has Albert Kim as the showrunner, executive producer and screenwriter. Jabbar Raisani and Michael Goi are executive producers and directors along with Roseanne Liang (also co-executive producer) and Jet Wilkinson.
Read below an interview with actor Gordon Cormier, who plays in this adaptation live action to Aang, the young Avatar. The series is now available on Netflix.
What would you say Aang’s journey is over the course of the first season?
After leaving the iceberg, Aang travels to many places. He first goes to Kyoshi, a village in the Earth Kingdom. And then he meets Zuko, the heir to the Fire Nation, who turns out to be his enemy.
How well did you know the original animated series before you were cast as Aang?
Although I hadn’t seen the series before I was cast, by the time we started production, I had already seen it 26 times, maybe more. It was the only thing I saw. I would get up in the morning and watch the series. I went to work and saw her. I came home and saw her. I studied the script, practiced martial arts, watched more of the series and then went to bed.
Tell us a little about your audition process and how you were chosen to play Aang.
At first, I had no idea what show it was for. The character was a twelve-year-old boy named Allen, and I was a little eleven-year-old who had a lot of lines to learn in a few days. But after the first audition, they brought me back for two chemistry reads with the other actors. Then they called me to tell me: ““We searched all over the world and at one point we even thought we would never find this character…, and then you arrived.”.
Then they explained it to me: “That Allen you auditioned for? Does not exist. You will be Aang in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’”. I responded that they had changed my life while crying non-stop.
How many of the stunts and fights were you able to do yourself?
I did as many as I could, but not if they hit Aang in the face, hit his head on the ground, or made him jump back. Although when it came to fight scenes and all that, I did them myself.
Of all the scenes where you practice the arts of control, which was your favorite?
That is hard. One could be Omashu or the blue spirit fight. I also liked the part where Zuko throws a cane at me and I react by throwing a plate, I spin around, hit it and throw it at him…, and then I kick him in the face with the cane and run away. That was fun… but not for Dallas.
And what was it like filming on the device that brings Appa to life?
It was an incredible experience. They put a harness on me and tied me to it because it’s so tall. But only the top half, where they hooked me, is real. Later, VFX (special effects) created the bottom, which moved from side to side. There’s a mount on the back, but it always sat on my head… It was great.
What was it like working with your co-stars Ian, Dallas and Kiawentiio on this series?
They are the best. We had a lot of fun. My relationship with Ian is similar to Aang’s with Sokka, and my friendship with Kiawentiio is like Aang and Katara’s. We all look a little like our characters in the series. But I can’t say the same for Aang and Zuko, that is, me and Dallas. He’s fun, and there’s no rivalry whatsoever.
What was the most fascinating thing about working on this series?
Just being Aang. It’s wonderful to play this character. Sometimes he is very happy, other times he is in a very dark place and other times he is in the middle. Aang expresses a lot of emotions and has an amazing character arc that I love. I am Aang.