Legend of Korra: the Creators Speak!
Mar. 8th, 2011 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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scans_dailyFrom here,
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/03/08/the-last-airbender-legend-of-korra-the-creators-speak/
"Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the creators of “Avatar: the Last Airbender” are readying the next chapter in the animated saga, titled “The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra.” The new series is due out mid-2012 on Nickelodeon.
“Avatar” and “Korra” take place in a setting that feels as richly imagined as Middle-earth, Narnia or Hogwarts. In this world, some inhabitants are “benders,” each with the power to manipulate one of the elements–air, fire, earth or water–to their will. One person, the Avatar, has the ability to master all the elements–and thus bring balance to the land.
“This one is 70 years into the future and takes all the elements of bending from the first series and evolves it and takes it one step further,” Cyma Zarghami, President of the Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, said of “Korra.”
Nickelodeon had picked up “Korra” for 12 episodes but recently decided to order 14 more shows. “When we first starting talking to Nickelodeon about doing a new series in the ‘Avatar’ world, they asked if we could do shorter arcs—more like a show like ‘24’where there’s a specific villain or challenge for that particular season,” Konietzko says. “We’re really happy with that number. It allows us to focus much more closely on each episode and get a lot more craft into it.”
Speakeasy talked to DiMartino and Konietzko about the follow-up series and what fans can expect.
“We have a lot of ideas for the ‘Avatar’ universe and who knows? We could be tapping into them for years to come,” Konietzko says.
The Wall Street Journal: How far along are you on the new series?
Michael DiMartino: We are in the midst of the first twelve episodes. We’ve written all the episodes. Episodes have shipped to the overseas animations studios and they’re animating away as we speak. So we’re kind of in the middle of things right now…All the vocal cast has been picked and recorded and all the scripts have been recorded.
Are you looking to win new viewers with the series or just satisfy fans of the old series who have grown up?
DiMartino: We want everyone to watch. Definitely fans of the first series will not be disappointed in this one. The tone is a little older, the characters are a little older than the first series—they’re teenagers. Korra is 16 so she’s older than Aang was. So I think maybe some people who weren’t into the first show might find this one and be into it.
Since the main characters are older, will there be more romance?
Bryan Konietzko: I thought Korra was 17 so Mike and I have to get our stories straight. The main characters are in their late teens, we’ve always loved those kind of teen love triangle type stories and there was plenty of that in the original series. We’re definitely getting into it in this series. The difference is these people have cars and motorcycles and things. There’s definitely a different dynamic. I’d say the show is more sophisticated than the original series but it has the same balance of tones we’ve always liked with humor, action, drama, scary stuff and romance.
Will characters from the first series show up in “Korra”?
Konietzko: Again it’s 70 years later so they’ll appear in various ways perhaps.
DiMartino: There is definitely a link to the old series and the old characters.
How did you change the look of the “Airbender” world?
Konietzko: In every way we’re trying to improve it. We’re not trying to change it so much that it’s unrecognizable and doesn’t feel like the same universe, but we are trying to update it, improve it, make everything just more sophisticated and appealing….It’s kind of like the show has grown up. A lot of the viewers have grown up since the show was last on.
Tell me about the heroine of the story, Korra. What’s she like?
DiMartino: Korra, we kind of describe her as a fiery waterbender. She’s very pugnacious. Kind of in your face. We wanted to create a new Avatar that was completely the opposite of Aang. So, whereas Aang was the peaceful, nomadic Airbender guy, she’s very tough, very headstrong, not scared to get into a fight, and kind of picks fights with people too sometimes. So she’s definitely totally the opposite of Aang so it has been kind of fun to write her character and put her in situations that Aang never would have gotten into.
Konietzko: It’s refreshing it’s totally different from Aang. But she’s also funny and has a lot of charm and vulnerability because she’s still growing up and trying to figure things out. We worked on that first series for more than six years and we love those characters but it’s great to be working with fresh ones with a new spin on the world.
Who is the main villain in Korra?
DiMartino: We have a great villain. He’s kind of an anti-bending revolutionary guy. Very scary dude. And definitely is quite a challenge for Korra.
Will you ever make a feature animated film?
Konietzko: On the original series we did our best to make it cinematic with a big immersive world. And on this series because it’s a tighter stretch of episodes–just 12 episodes–but Mike and I wrote all of them, there’s really no filler. We told almost as much story as the first series packed into these 12. So it’s getting even closer to something cinematic. So yeah, we would love to. We feel like we’re kind of movie guys working in TV. So we’re looking forward to that day when we get to work in that medium.
Have you heard anything about whether there will be a sequel to the “Last Airbender” live-action feature film?
DiMartino: Uh, no. It’s definitely not up to us, so.
Will we find out what happened to Zuko’s mom?
DiMartino: That question will be answered in some way, but not necessarily in the show. That’s all I’ll say."
Mid 2012??? Aw man. :(
Bit still, it isn't just going to be 12 episodes, as people were worrying initially. :) Plus they're really getting into the steampunk Aethetic with the addition of cars and motorbikes to the show, which sounds interesting.
Appa, you've been made redundant!
For legality, these strips by Avatar artist and Zhao of the Water Tribe creator, Rufftoon!
http://rufftoon.deviantart.com/
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/03/08/the-last-airbender-legend-of-korra-the-creators-speak/
"Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the creators of “Avatar: the Last Airbender” are readying the next chapter in the animated saga, titled “The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra.” The new series is due out mid-2012 on Nickelodeon.
“Avatar” and “Korra” take place in a setting that feels as richly imagined as Middle-earth, Narnia or Hogwarts. In this world, some inhabitants are “benders,” each with the power to manipulate one of the elements–air, fire, earth or water–to their will. One person, the Avatar, has the ability to master all the elements–and thus bring balance to the land.
“This one is 70 years into the future and takes all the elements of bending from the first series and evolves it and takes it one step further,” Cyma Zarghami, President of the Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, said of “Korra.”
Nickelodeon had picked up “Korra” for 12 episodes but recently decided to order 14 more shows. “When we first starting talking to Nickelodeon about doing a new series in the ‘Avatar’ world, they asked if we could do shorter arcs—more like a show like ‘24’where there’s a specific villain or challenge for that particular season,” Konietzko says. “We’re really happy with that number. It allows us to focus much more closely on each episode and get a lot more craft into it.”
Speakeasy talked to DiMartino and Konietzko about the follow-up series and what fans can expect.
“We have a lot of ideas for the ‘Avatar’ universe and who knows? We could be tapping into them for years to come,” Konietzko says.
The Wall Street Journal: How far along are you on the new series?
Michael DiMartino: We are in the midst of the first twelve episodes. We’ve written all the episodes. Episodes have shipped to the overseas animations studios and they’re animating away as we speak. So we’re kind of in the middle of things right now…All the vocal cast has been picked and recorded and all the scripts have been recorded.
Are you looking to win new viewers with the series or just satisfy fans of the old series who have grown up?
DiMartino: We want everyone to watch. Definitely fans of the first series will not be disappointed in this one. The tone is a little older, the characters are a little older than the first series—they’re teenagers. Korra is 16 so she’s older than Aang was. So I think maybe some people who weren’t into the first show might find this one and be into it.
Since the main characters are older, will there be more romance?
Bryan Konietzko: I thought Korra was 17 so Mike and I have to get our stories straight. The main characters are in their late teens, we’ve always loved those kind of teen love triangle type stories and there was plenty of that in the original series. We’re definitely getting into it in this series. The difference is these people have cars and motorcycles and things. There’s definitely a different dynamic. I’d say the show is more sophisticated than the original series but it has the same balance of tones we’ve always liked with humor, action, drama, scary stuff and romance.
Will characters from the first series show up in “Korra”?
Konietzko: Again it’s 70 years later so they’ll appear in various ways perhaps.
DiMartino: There is definitely a link to the old series and the old characters.
How did you change the look of the “Airbender” world?
Konietzko: In every way we’re trying to improve it. We’re not trying to change it so much that it’s unrecognizable and doesn’t feel like the same universe, but we are trying to update it, improve it, make everything just more sophisticated and appealing….It’s kind of like the show has grown up. A lot of the viewers have grown up since the show was last on.
Tell me about the heroine of the story, Korra. What’s she like?
DiMartino: Korra, we kind of describe her as a fiery waterbender. She’s very pugnacious. Kind of in your face. We wanted to create a new Avatar that was completely the opposite of Aang. So, whereas Aang was the peaceful, nomadic Airbender guy, she’s very tough, very headstrong, not scared to get into a fight, and kind of picks fights with people too sometimes. So she’s definitely totally the opposite of Aang so it has been kind of fun to write her character and put her in situations that Aang never would have gotten into.
Konietzko: It’s refreshing it’s totally different from Aang. But she’s also funny and has a lot of charm and vulnerability because she’s still growing up and trying to figure things out. We worked on that first series for more than six years and we love those characters but it’s great to be working with fresh ones with a new spin on the world.
Who is the main villain in Korra?
DiMartino: We have a great villain. He’s kind of an anti-bending revolutionary guy. Very scary dude. And definitely is quite a challenge for Korra.
Will you ever make a feature animated film?
Konietzko: On the original series we did our best to make it cinematic with a big immersive world. And on this series because it’s a tighter stretch of episodes–just 12 episodes–but Mike and I wrote all of them, there’s really no filler. We told almost as much story as the first series packed into these 12. So it’s getting even closer to something cinematic. So yeah, we would love to. We feel like we’re kind of movie guys working in TV. So we’re looking forward to that day when we get to work in that medium.
Have you heard anything about whether there will be a sequel to the “Last Airbender” live-action feature film?
DiMartino: Uh, no. It’s definitely not up to us, so.
Will we find out what happened to Zuko’s mom?
DiMartino: That question will be answered in some way, but not necessarily in the show. That’s all I’ll say."
Mid 2012??? Aw man. :(
Bit still, it isn't just going to be 12 episodes, as people were worrying initially. :) Plus they're really getting into the steampunk Aethetic with the addition of cars and motorbikes to the show, which sounds interesting.
Appa, you've been made redundant!
For legality, these strips by Avatar artist and Zhao of the Water Tribe creator, Rufftoon!
http://rufftoon.deviantart.com/
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 06:30 pm (UTC)During the war the anti-bending sentiment was probably kept low by the fact that benders are the best fighters. If the non-bending people of the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe had turned on the benders, the Fire Nation would have crushed them.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 06:52 pm (UTC)It's possible that with the advert of the industrial, mechanical power caused by the Mechanist and the Fire Nation's talent for machinery that for the first time power was in the hands of people who couldn't bender.
As you could now get rich from owning a steampowered factory instead of military rank or landowning (which might have been the case with Toph's family, I don't know where her family's wealth came from), you all of a send would end up with regular folk going up the social totem pole that was previously kind of segregated.
It's possible that the old social network in place caused some kind of resentment amongst those newly rich people, as they might think that the old rich families shut them out somewhat.
For the non-empowered poor people, it could be that the Fire Nation War could be blamed on the benders, due to the Fire Nation's Nazi-ish policies and with the possible "blame" for the war happening in the first place being placed at the feet of the ultimate bender, the Avatar.
Grammer Nazi
Date: 2011-03-10 07:54 am (UTC)Slight pronunciation note, though; "bender" is for an individual who can bend - when talking about the ablility itself, you just say "bend".
For example,
If it was just a typo, I wouldn't have commented, but you do it twice here.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 05:27 pm (UTC)Yay great!
*reads strips*
OMG that's the funniest thing I've read in ages!
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 06:20 pm (UTC)And ahhh, that strip never gets old!
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 06:34 pm (UTC)We know that, at the end of the series, she was locked up in a mental institution. But I wonder if she'll ever regain her sanity.
I kind of hope she can be redeemed. She was a monster, BUT she also was 14. It's too sad to think that it's too late to change for somebody who is that young.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 12:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 03:45 am (UTC)Maybe becuase we r both divided on our views of Azula is what makes her sympathetic.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 08:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 08:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 10:16 pm (UTC)And I'll be honest, there was *SOME* good that came out of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gf4gGLrzas
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 07:41 pm (UTC)"The Last Airbender: The Legend Of Korra"? What the what?
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 08:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 11:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 04:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 06:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 04:15 pm (UTC)P.S. I didn't mean to offend, just wanted to point out why that particular pronunciation was semi-valid
no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-10 03:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 03:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 10:49 pm (UTC)Awesome!
When they say Korra is headstrong and likes to get into a fight, I really hope they mean in a likable Toph sort of way and not an asshole sort of way.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 12:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 01:15 am (UTC)so excited
Date: 2011-03-09 12:24 am (UTC)Re: so excited
Date: 2011-03-09 12:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 12:52 am (UTC)NOOOOOOOO!! Damn I was looking forward to it airing this year. Now I gotta wait for it to air in the year of doom!
no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 04:53 am (UTC)Save...
....SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 05:34 am (UTC)Nickelodeon had picked up “Korra” for 12 episodes but recently decided to order 14 more shows. “When we first starting talking to Nickelodeon about doing a new series in the ‘Avatar’ world, they asked if we could do shorter arcs—more like a show like ‘24’where there’s a specific villain or challenge for that particular season,” Konietzko says. “We’re really happy with that number. It allows us to focus much more closely on each episode and get a lot more craft into it.”-
WOOO!
no subject
Date: 2011-03-09 03:53 pm (UTC)