According to Variety, M. Night Shyamalan and Paramount are planning their own “Avatar” project, based on the popular Nickelodoen kids TV series.
The filmmaker has signed a three-picture deal with Paramount’s MTV Films and Nick Movies to adapt the animated children’s series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” for the big screen. He will write, direct and produce the potential kids franchise. The film version will be live-action.
Nick TV’s “Avatar” follows the adventures of the successor to a long line of Avatars who must put aside his irresponsible ways and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations. The show was created by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
The trade adds that Paramount confirmed the deal with Shyamalan just hours after 20th Century Fox announced it has given the green light to James Cameron’s Avatar.
Although they may have the same name, the two projects have nothing to do with each other in terms of storylines. Cameron’s is a sci-fi action-adventure that he’s been working on for 11 years.
Paramount said it has registered the name of its project with the Motion Picture Association of America. A Fox rep said, “We own the movie title ‘Avatar.’ There won’t be another film called ‘Avatar’ coming from anyplace.”
