Will Avatar Ever Have Streaming TV Shows?
We, as a society, have officially entered the era of streaming. It seems like every studio needs its own streaming service these days, and many are enticing people to sign up by offering content viewers can't get anywhere else. Whether this involves revivals of classic shows or movies based on pre-existing properties that won't air in theaters, there's no shortage of possibilities for getting feet through the door.
Even the biggest names in town, namely Marvel and Star Wars, have gotten in on the trend. Seeing as how Disney owns both franchises, a slew of content has moved to Disney+, including the likes of "WandaVision," "The Mandalorian," and "Obi-Wan Kenobi." That's just a small sampling of what you can find, but there's another franchise Disney oversees that it's playing a little coy with.
"Avatar," owned by 20th Century Studios, which is, in turn, owned by Disney, is finally getting a sequel in December of 2022. More theatrical releases will follow, but one has to naturally wonder if a streaming component could be part of the question in the near future. A series based on the "Avatar" films would naturally generate interest in the series and potentially get more people to sign up for either Disney+ or Hulu. According to 20th Century Studios President Steve Asbell, it may be on the horizon, but fans shouldn't hold their breath.
Asbell says 'not yet' to series based on their properties
The world of Pandora is certainly expansive. There are any number of stories creatives could tell within its confines, and not necessarily all of them have to center on Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). Other characters could absolutely enter the fray in an interconnected universe where the movies influence the TV shows and vice versa. Marvel and Star Wars have already proven it could be a viable method to tell stories that perhaps wouldn't work on the big screen, so what are the chances of "Avatar" delving into this new territory?
According to Steve Asbell, it may not happen for a while. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Asbell was asked about the interconnectedness streaming provides. Although "Avatar" wasn't explicitly mentioned, it's easy to see how the question alludes to that property. Asbell explained, "It's part of how Lucasfilm and Marvel do it, and we may explore it at some point, but not yet."
It's unclear what could make the head honchos at 20th Century Studios change their minds on an "Avatar" series. Perhaps they want to see how well the sequels perform in theaters before investing any more in this universe. No doubt plenty of people would love to explore Pandora further or even take a gander at what Earth's like in this universe, and a TV series could be the perfect avenue to explore it.