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https://www.themarysue.com/mike-dimartino-bryan-konietzko-exit-atla-netflix-series/
When news broke that there would be an Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series coming from Netflix, the reaction from many fans was a mixture of excitement and anxiety. We have all lived through the collective monstrosity that was the live-action movie The Last Airbender, so we know exactly how bad it can get. Now word comes from show co-creator Michael DiMartino that he and Bryan Konietzko have separated from the Netflix project.
In a post titled “An open letter to Avatar: The Last Airbender fans,” DiMartino explains the lack of updates about the project and breaks the tragic news.
“Many of you have been asking me for updates about the Avatar live-action Netflix series,” he starts. “I can finally tell you that I am no longer involved with the project. In June of this year, after two years of development work, Bryan Konietzko and I made the difficult decision to leave the production.”
He continues: “When Bryan and I signed on to the project in 2018, we were hired as executive producers and showrunners. In a joint announcement for the series, Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series. And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not go as we had hoped.”
That does not bode well. Especially since one of the things the creators promised was “a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast” considering the Asian influences of the series, my first thought and fear was that someone felt there needed to be some famous white actors in a few places.
DiMartino doesn’t explain in explicit details what happened, but hints that “productions are challenging” and that he was doing his best to “try to be like an Air Nomad and adapt,” only to decide “to cut their losses and move on” in order to maintain some integrity does not make me in any way excited for this new series at all.
“And who knows?” DiMartino adds. “Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good. It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying. But what I can be certain about is that whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make.”
Ahh, yeah I’m not excited about any of this. Bryke—the name given to DiMartino and Konietzko’s partnership—may not be perfect, but if this show doesn’t at the very least have their involvement or some of the writers from the original, I have to say I’m not exactly excited about where this will go unless they really wow me with the cast.
Until then, I’m content to just rewatch the original series and The Legend of Korra when it drops on Netflix.
(via Michael Dante DiMartino’s Blog, image: Nickelodeon)
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—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
When news broke that there would be an Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series coming from Netflix, the reaction from many fans was a mixture of excitement and anxiety. We have all lived through the collective monstrosity that was the live-action movie The Last Airbender, so we know exactly how bad it can get. Now word comes from show co-creator Michael DiMartino that he and Bryan Konietzko have separated from the Netflix project.
In a post titled “An open letter to Avatar: The Last Airbender fans,” DiMartino explains the lack of updates about the project and breaks the tragic news.
“Many of you have been asking me for updates about the Avatar live-action Netflix series,” he starts. “I can finally tell you that I am no longer involved with the project. In June of this year, after two years of development work, Bryan Konietzko and I made the difficult decision to leave the production.”
He continues: “When Bryan and I signed on to the project in 2018, we were hired as executive producers and showrunners. In a joint announcement for the series, Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series. And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not go as we had hoped.”
That does not bode well. Especially since one of the things the creators promised was “a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast” considering the Asian influences of the series, my first thought and fear was that someone felt there needed to be some famous white actors in a few places.
DiMartino doesn’t explain in explicit details what happened, but hints that “productions are challenging” and that he was doing his best to “try to be like an Air Nomad and adapt,” only to decide “to cut their losses and move on” in order to maintain some integrity does not make me in any way excited for this new series at all.
“And who knows?” DiMartino adds. “Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good. It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying. But what I can be certain about is that whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make.”
Ahh, yeah I’m not excited about any of this. Bryke—the name given to DiMartino and Konietzko’s partnership—may not be perfect, but if this show doesn’t at the very least have their involvement or some of the writers from the original, I have to say I’m not exactly excited about where this will go unless they really wow me with the cast.
Until then, I’m content to just rewatch the original series and The Legend of Korra when it drops on Netflix.
(via Michael Dante DiMartino’s Blog, image: Nickelodeon)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
What's shakin,' AFROnerdists! A new Afronerd Radio Mid Week in Review (MWIR) show is upon us-airing this Wednesday at 8pm eastern and engineered via our new platform, BTalk 100. The topics to be dissected this (mid) week are: even post COVID-19, can affect a company that creates superheroes, apparently-big layoffs are in the works at DC Universe and DC Comics; Dburt's favorite theater chain, the Alamo Drafthouse might have an exclusive workaround for showing films during a pandemic...private party showings; oh, and in political news, Democratic presidential hopeful, Joe Biden has chosen Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate (now if we can count on mail-in voting); we always have leftovers in our metaphysical fridge from last Sunday's Grindhouse episode;
Rollingstone.com has two interesting articles centered around not only the history of racism toward black artists in the record industry but also recent creation of the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) as a means to combat the aforementioned systemic biases; who honestly didn't think that New York Comic Con wasn't going to be cancelled? Well, the formally made the announcement along with the reveal that, just like last month's SDCC @Home, NYC will have their version of online panels; and just for the sake of venting....why are people insistent upon having "underground" parties or non-socially distant raves as the national death toll continues to rise from the coronavirus?
It looks like that YoutTube's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air "dramatic" reimagining has paid off with an announcement of a full blown series reboot in the works; The Wall Street Journal reports on yet another impressive A.I. development proposing software that more closely mimics actual language processing; news on the Rogue-One prequel via Disney plus; And lastly, thoughts about the band getting back together-a la the original CSI (Vegas) series returning. Call in LIVE at 508-645-0100.
Latveria is European, Mr. Cage--I have no black subjects, and--sad to say--no one ever emigrates to my land. Thus, in order to pursue them unobtrusively--for I am not welcome in the United States--I needed a black, and I need to hire him. Enter, Luke Cage.-Dr. Victor Von Doom
or This link below.....
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Power-Con is coming to a virtual forum near you this weekend! The full press release is below. Find out what Mattel has in store for all you MOTU fans. Will you be in attendance? Let us know in the comments!
Mattel Drops Masters of the Universe Motherlode at Power-Con
He-Man Gets Haul of New Toys,
A Tabletop Role Playing Game and More
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., August 8, 2020 – Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) today revealed a power-packed collection of new toys, games, collectibles and exclusives tied to the Masters of the Universe® franchise. The announcement was made at Power-Con, the ultimate He-Man and She-Ra toy and collectibles experience created for the fans by the fans.
Mattel’s new Masters of the Universe releases feature something for every type of fan – from the diehard collector to children that are discovering the franchise for the first time. Specific items include:
• Introducing New Fans to the Franchise: Imaginext Masters of the Universe XL Action Figures (available summer 2021) and Little People (on shelves now):
Whether it’s on planet Eternia or in the living room, preschool kids can play out all Masters of the Universe stories with these super-sized Imaginext Masters of the Universe XL Action Figures from Fisher-Price – the first introduction of the franchise to the Imaginext line. Reaching approximately 10-inches tall with a fully movable neck, shoulders, legs and wrists, extra-large He-Man, Skeletor, and Beast Man let young fans act out the most epic Masters of the Universe adventures. And, toddlers can join in on the fun with the Little People Collector Masters of the Universe set which features four figures, styled to look like classic characters He-Man®, Beast Man
, Skeletor® and Man-At-Arms®.
• Mega Construx Masters of the Universe Signature Series (available November 1):
Masters of the Universe goes MEGA! Young fans can build their own adventures on the distant worlds at the center of the universe with the Masters of the Universe Mega Construx Signature Series, which includes the fully-buildable Castle Grayskull with over 3,500 pieces, which features 3 floors and 6 areas: Throne Room, Command Center, Dungeon, working Power Sword-activated Jawbridge and more. All new construction sets that will be unveiled at Power-Con include Mega Construx Masters of the Universe Skeletor Skull Assortment, with three collectible Skeltor heads, each with its own color scheme, including one that glows in the dark, as well as a new Mega Construx Masters of the Universe Skeletor and Panthor set and Mega Construx Masters of the Universe Battle Ram. All new Mega Construx sets, including the fully-buildable Panthor with flocked, velvet fur finish and Skeletor micro action figure, as well as the Battle Ram with rolling wheels and working launchers, will be available on shelves November 1st.
• Masters of the Universe UNO (on shelves now):
The best-selling card game introduces a vintage Master of the Universe take on the classic UNO deck, with cards designed with the original MOTU franchise oil paintings by Williams George and Ruby Obero.
Mattel also revealed a new table-top roleplaying game:
• Legends of Grayskull (available in 2021):
At last, the secrets of Castle Grayskull and the fate of the entire universe are at player’s command with a legendary roll of the bones. Created by the team behind D&D Beyond, Mattel reached a multi-year licensing agreement with Fandom to produce Legends of Grayskull — a tabletop roleplaying game where fans have the power to become Masters of the Universe. Players can customize or create their own characters to embark on epic adventures set within the vast world of Eternia and its twin moons. The entire experience contains a core roleplaying game (including a 250-page hardcover guidebook complete with pull-out maps), digital companion and toolset, a community content creation and sharing platform, and an organized play program that gives fans the opportunity to participate in a connected, living story with other Masters of the Universe players around the world — in person, online, or on a players digital device. The game is based on Cortex Prime, the latest iteration of the award-winning rules system from Fandom Tabletop’s Adam Bradford and Lead Designer Cam Banks.
For more information on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, visit MastersOfTheUniverse.com
The post Mattel Brings it to Power-Con 2020 appeared first on The Nerd Element.
On Monday, SheaMoisture and BROWN GIRL Jane announced that the two beauty brands are teaming up to kickstart an initiative, an expansion of #BrownGirlSwap, that supports Black women-owned independent beauty and wellness brands, financially and more. As part of the initiative, they are investing $250,000 in a grant fund and offering mentorship from industry veterans.
“Our partnership with BROWN GIRL Jane comes from our shared mission to support and uplift Black-owned businesses,” says Cara Sabin, CEO of SheaMoisture. “We are inspired by the brand’s three dynamic founders and are honored to partner with industry peers and continue SheaMoisture’s mission of reinvesting in our communities”
This initiative comes on the heels of SheaMoisture’s creation of a social justice coalition with a $100,000 investment in support of activists working toward social change in June, and the brands $1 million relief fund announced in April in support of women of color entrepreneurs and minority small business owners in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The #BrownGirlSwap initiative consists of five verticals, which includes amplify—BROWNGIRL Jane and SheaMoisture will use their established reach to bring exposure to young start-ups, fund—along with $250,000 in grants, recipients will receive mentor opportunities with leadership at SheaMoisture as well as Unilever, empower—SheaMoisture will sponsor the Black To Business Summit virtual business bootcamp and networking event for Black beauty and wellness creators, and diversify—SheaMoisture, in partnership with BROWN GIRL Jane, will continue to usher in diverse beauty talent with its 2021 semester-long, paid internship program for Black college students.
The final vertical, which we might be the most excited about, is swap—aligned with the #BrownGirlSwap pledge launched across social media in June. It inspires consumers to commit to replacing at least five of their go-to products with brands owned by Black women.
BROWN GIRL Jane Balance Daily Drops(browngirljane.com)“This collaboration will bolster and create space for so many emerging brands and in turn, do far more than cutting a check,” says Tai Beauchamp, chief brand officer of BROWN GIRL Jane.
“It has been exciting to see brands and communities want to activate to support the growth and impact of Black-owned businesses. In order for the impact to be felt beyond increased sales or market share for a moment in time, however, it is important that brands, organizations, and people of influence develop models that are sustainable and help reverse the impact of oppressive systemic practices,” she continues. “We must ensure that entrepreneurs and future business leaders are supported and equipped to build a lasting legacy.”
To learn more about the initiative, join and swap follow @itsbrowngirljane and @sheamoisture on Instagram. To learn more about the Black To Business Summit go to browngirljane.com/swap.
The post BROWN GIRL Jane And SheaMoisture Expand #BrownGirlSwap Program appeared first on Essence.