Netflix has announced five new additions to the cast of their upcoming live-action adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The brand new casting also includes official descriptions for the characters that will be seen in the upcoming series, four of which are returning fan favorites and one new addition to the expansive world of The Last Airbender. Below is a list of all the new cast members and their official character descriptions:
- Elizabeth Yu (she/her; Untitled Ray Romano Film, All My Love) will play Azula, one of the series most beloved yet evil villains. Her description reads, “The intensely driven princess of the Fire Nation. A firebending prodigy and relentless perfectionist, she’ll stop at nothing to secure her position as the heir to the throne.”
- Maria Zhang (she/her) will play Suki: “The intimidating leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, an elite female fighting force dedicated to protecting their community and upholding the ideals of their namesake, Avatar Kyoshi.”
- Tamlyn Tomita (she/her; The Good Doctor, Cobra Kai) will play Yukari, a brand new character that could point towards the series spending more time with the Kyoshi Warriors and with Kyoshi Island. “Suki’s mother and the fiercely protective mayor of her small village on Kyoshi Island.”
- Yvonne Chapman (she/her; Kung Fu, Family Law) will play Avatar Kyoshi, the earthbending Avatar of two lifetimes ago. “A legendary warrior revered for her bravery, fearsome fighting skills, and uncompromising dedication to the cause of justice.”
- Casey Camp-Horinek (she/her, Barking Water, Reservation Dogs) will play Gran Gran. “Katara and Sokka’s grandmother and the compassionate and wise matriarch of the Southern Water Tribe.”
These five new additions join previously announced cast members Fordan Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai, and Dallas Liu as Zuko as well as Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Lim Kay Siu, and Ken Leung as Uncle Iroh, Gyatso, and Commander Zhao, respectively.
Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow, Nikita) serves as showrunner, executive producer, and writer. Alongside Kim, Rideback’s Dan Lin (The Lego Movie, Aladdin) and Lindsey Liberatore (Walker) are set to serve as executive producers as well as Michael Goi (Swamp Thing, American Horror Story). Goi and Roseanne Liang (who is also a co-executive producer), as well as Jabbar Raisani and Jet Wilkinson, are also attached to the project as directors. More info about the series can be found here.
The live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender began production in November in Vancouver and is still underway. There has been no release date or window announced for the upcoming series. The series will be airing on Netflix.
via Collider