Avatar Studios Pitch Meeting

From the Spirit World takes over Avatar Studios (hypothetically) as we go around giving our pitches for the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender movie, a future Avatar series, and more shows and movies in the Avatar world!

Hosts for this podcast: Dylan, Mel, Delaney, & Ben.

Timestamps for the podcast:

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 3:45 – Avatar Studios News
• 21:15 – Aang Movie Pitches
• 48:00 – Next Avatar Series Pitches
• 1:17:00 – Other Show or Movie Pitches
• 1:56:30 – Conclusion

Here are the pitches!

(Mel) Bloodbenders 2: Full Moon Boogaloo

It’s been eight years since Zuko’s coronation and the end of the war and there’s no shortage of people in need as the world puts itself back together again. Aang and Katara have been constantly on the move, occasionally accompanied by their friends. One day, a distress call from an island in the far north where territory negotiations have seemingly gone south between the Fire Nation and Water Tribe. The Fire Nation soldiers have attacked the Water Tribe there, threatening to ignite simmering frustrations. 

But not everything is as it seems. The Fire Nation soldiers claim to have not been in control of themselves, their actions not their own. Katara begins to suspect something far more sinister is going on as they, with the help of their friends, begin to investigate a group of local waterbenders with ties to an old and clandestine group with access to a forbidden power under the strength of the full moon. The Gaang must rush to uncover the truth and stop the group from igniting a full scale battle between Water Tribe and Fire Nation in a fragile time.

Why I like it: 

• Bloodbending is one of the more captivating things to come out of the show so anything that brings that into the spotlight is interesting
• There’s a gap of information between when we last see bloodbending and Katara outlawing it because it became widely known. How did it become widely known? Was there a time when Katara and Aang thought they could control the use of it? 
• I look spooky secret organizations
• While nothing is going to meet the level of drama and stakes as the original series, I think reverberations from world events like that are interesting to explore since we can see them clearly in our own world

(Delaney) The Red Wedding: For Mel

Short summary: Kataang wedding. Everyone is all over the world and we must go get them. Chaos at the wedding. Red Lotus?

Reasons why you like this idea:

• Kataang
• Lighthearted but also can introduce Red Lotus beginnings
• Can check in on everyone

(Ben) The Red Lotus Blooms

Summary:  As we see the early days of the United Republic of Nations and what will ultimately become Republic City, we see the splintering of the White Lotus and see the Gaang go up against what will ultimately become The Order of the Red Lotus

Why I Like This Idea:   It helps to connect the original series with Korra and see the foundation of an important group/plot element from Book 3: Change.  

(Dylan) Red Lotus Origins

Short summary: Dave Bautista as Xai Bau the founder of the Red Lotus as the movie details it breaking off from the White Lotus as Aang and the Gang in their 20s try to stop the new global harmony from breaking apart, including Aang beginning to create the United Republic of Nations. Specific plot: New Red Lotus interrupt the Kataang wedding for some reason.

Reasons why you like this idea:

• Red Lotus stuff is most interesting thing we know about from this time, better than Republic City being the focus
• Wrestler Dave Bautista reminiscent of Zaheer

(Delaney) Avatar: The Last Avatar

Could be as far into the future as possible or next earth Avatar. Do we need the Avatar? Can the Avatar bring balance to a world like ours? Complex issues: industrialization, inequality.

• A modern take
• Less villain focused, natural progression after Zaheer
• Natural progression after spirit world focus

(Mel) The YA Antinationalist Hero Avatar

It’s been two generations of Avatars since the time of Korra. Republic City has flourished, borders between nations have been places of flourishing immigration. Our hero is one such child of a blended family, the daughter of a parent half Air Nomad and half Earth Kingdom while the other is Fire Nation. They see themselves as a child of multiple cultures with seemingly no bending to speak of. 

Until, one day, they produce an unnatural gust of wind. Their Air Nomad family is delighted, ready to bring the MC into their world and help them embrace their Air Nomad identity. But then, in a moment of frustration, they firebend. It becomes clear: they are the Avatar. The Air Nomads insist they belong to them as the Avatar of the Air portion of the cycle. But they’ve known little of that world and love their life as it is in Republic City and in a diverse and vibrant world. In a panic, they flee responsibilities and labels and head into the wilds of the Earth Kingdom where they can be free of their responsibilities and all the world is trying to put on them. Until they run into a problem only the Avatar can solve, and with the help of friends made along the way, they work to forge their own path as the Avatar and define what being the Avatar in a modern world means.

Why I like it: 

• Ever since they introduced characters like Mako and Bolin with different bending abilities in the same family or Asami who was ethnically Fire Nation but born in Republic City with no bending at all, it got me thinking about how elemental identity and nationalism coexist in the Avatar universe and the rules of the Avatar spirit seem to abide by it. But what happens in another generation when you have people with bits of all nations in their family tree? Are they excluded from being the Avatar? Do they have to make a choice about how they identify in daily life? 
• I also like the parallels this allows for with personal identity vs perception. I think it’s an important topic. How does the Avatar world deal with changing definitions when so much of the world was built on these identities?
• I like the idea of a less action oriented story. While it wouldn’t be devoid of action, it would be interesting to follow a character-centric story that is more personal.

(Ben) Future Avatar

Honestly had a hard time coming up with a great idea for this one, but in my mind, if they do a series on an Avatar after Korra, I think an interesting idea to explore would be about how much further the world of Avatar has advanced technologically and whether the Avatar still has a relevant role to play  in the world at that time.  Perhaps mirroring our own world with many drifting away from religion of any kind.

(Dylan) Spark of a New Avatar

Short summary: Xin (voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho) is a computer programmer working in a normal office in the modern Earth Kingdom (~2010 equivalent). She starts feeling increasingly connected to her computer, tangibly feeling the electricity going on and off in the bits from her code. She realizes she’s a lightning bender with a speciality in interacting with electricity and therefore the Avatar since she can firebend. Mel

Reasons why you like this idea:

• Avatar in the modern world, Avatar interaction with technology 
• How a very non-spiritual person in technological modern world would fair as the Avatar

(Mel) Rogue One: A Nonbender Story

It’s 4 years before Aang will be awakened from the iceberg and our MC is doing everything they can to get by in a global war as a nonbender. They’ve dodged military conscription in the Earth Kingdom army and the forced labor nonbenders are required to provide the war effort. But don’t let their lack of bending fool you, they can go toe-to-toe with plenty of benders thanks to their agility, self taught martial arts, and a few tricks. You don’t need a master to learn how to fight and they’re ready to take on any bender who threatens the peace they’ve made for themselves living off the grid. 

As a war waged by benders rages on, some problems require a subtler approach. Our MC is confronted by a group who need their help: Ba Sing Se has been under siege for three years by the Fire Lord’s militarily gifted son General Iroh. They’ve tried everything to break the siege and now they’re ready for a different approach, one Iroh and his army will not expect: nonbenders. Our MC joins a group of fellow nonbenders just trying to get by and are given an assignment: assassinate the general, cut the head off the snake, free the Earth Kingdom capital, and save the world from a Fire Nation victory.

Why I like it: 

• I’ve always liked a hero who uses their environment when it comes to getting things done (like Assassin’s Creed). I think we saw bits of that in characters like Jet but there’s certainly room for more
• With the exception of Sokka, the nonbenders need some attention besides being sidekicks and love interests (Suki, Asami, Mai, and Ty Lee were all sidekicks and/or love interests to the benders). Statistically speaking they’re probably half the population or more, their stories are interesting too, especially considering the power imbalance they likely face
• I really love the idea of going with a Rogue One type story where you have a character whose name will be lost to history and who otherwise is not important but who did something incredibly crucial for the larger world.  
• I’d like to see exactly what happened with Iroh and Lu Ten and the siege. In my version, Lu Ten is collateral damage in an assassination attempt on Iroh

(Ben) The Man Who Would Have Been Fire Lord

Summary:  The story if Iroh’s life leading up to when we first meet him in Avatar: The Last Airbender

Why I Like This Idea:  Iroh is without a doubt one of the most interesting and endearing characters in the entire franchise and I think getting to see certain times of his life that were mentioned, but never fully explored, would be interesting.

(Delaney) Avatar: No Avatar/Tales from Below

Nonbender focused show with token bender. Adventures without the Avatar. Here Avatar stuff in the background.

• More world building
• Can explore the bender vs nonbender divide

(Dylan) Asami University 

Short summary: As her last act as Avatar, Korra founded an interdisciplinary bending school where the most promising benders of all nations go to study together. The series details a group of friends training together in their different bending types and their daily school lives and relationships.

Reasons why you like this idea:

• Avatar magic school
• Avatar Gen V

(Mel) Fire Nation: Rebels

The Fire Nation has a new ruler. The sudden death of Azulon and disgrace of Iroh has put an unlikely person on the throne: Ozai. A group of Fire Nation citizens, displeased with the war and ready to end the conflict, want to take advantage of a young prince who was never meant to rule suddenly thrust into power. With their allies in court and their practical wherewithal, they combine forces to influence politics and vandalize and sabotage the war effort to hopefully bring peace to the world. 

But they’ve underestimated exactly who it is now sitting on the Fire Nation throne and the lengths he is willing to go to cement his place in history.

Why I like it: 

• Netflix tapped into what we were all thinking: there’s no way everyone was just cool with a century long war. In the history of all our wars, the populace is never unified in its support. What’s going on internally in the Fire Nation? We saw some propaganda in The Headband and Ember Island Players, but let’s dive in deeper. 
• I like getting a little GoT with this with the political side of it all. We know Ozai is a ruthless manipulator but his enemies certainly hope he’s a hapless young man thrust into a position he was never prepared for. What do their machinations look like? 
• On the flip side, what does the ground work look like for those sabotaging and vandalizing the war effort, doing their best to functionally make more war impossible?

(Delaney) Mama Mia with Su and Lin

(Ben) The Tales of Korra

Summary: A miniseries that jumps ahead ten years after the end of The Legend of Korra and explores what our favorite characters are now up to. 

Why I Like This Idea:  While not every character in Korra is greatly loved (ahem, looking at you Mako, ahem), still think it would be cool to see a lot of these characters again and see some small adventures in what is (hopefully) a more peaceful world. 

(Dylan) Untitled Avatar-Companion Love Story

Short summary: A pure romance series about an Avatar before Yangchen and one of their companions/masters.

Reasons why you like this idea:

• The Kataang-esque Avatar/companion romance dynamic but fully fleshed out as the main aspect of a series
• A much chiller slice-of-life Avatar show
• Explore a random Avatar way in the past
• Complicated power dynamics in a relationship with the god-like Avatar on one hand, and a teacher-student relationship on the other