Today, Nickelodeon announces they have pulled the giant “Yes” lever in their corporate offices to allow for the new Avatar series The Legend of Korra. HOLY CRAP.

I’ve highlighted the text you really want to know about:

BURBANK, Calif. – July 21, 2010 – Nickelodeon, the number one producer of television animation in the world, has greenlit a new series from the creators of the hit animated TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender, it was announced today by Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. The new series The Legend of Korra (working title), from creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, will premiere on Nickelodeon in 2011, continuing the evolution of the animated franchise and its mythology. The original series was the inspiration for the Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies live- action epic adventure, The Last Airbender, which has already grossed more than $115 million at the box office to date.

“Mike and Bryan have imagined a compelling new story inspired by the Airbender mythology that they so brilliantly crafted when the TV series began,” Johnson said. “This new avatar is not only a girl, but also hot-headed, independent and ready to take on the world.”

The Legend of Korra takes place 70 years after the events of Avatar: The Last Airbender and follows the adventures of the Avatar after Aang – a passionate, rebellious, and fearless teenaged girl from the Southern Water Tribe named Korra. With three of the four elements under her belt (Earth, Water, and Fire), Korra seeks to master the final element, Air. Her quest leads her to the epicenter of the modern “Avatar” world, Republic City – a metropolis that is fueled by steampunk technology. It is a virtual melting pot where benders and non-benders from all nations live and thrive. However, Korra discovers that Republic City is plagued by crime as well as a growing anti-bending revolution that threatens to rip it apart. Under the tutelage of Aang’s son, Tenzin, Korra begins her airbending training while dealing with the dangers at large.

Launched in February 2005, Avatar aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon and was ranked among the top five animated properties on television among boys, 2-11 and 6-11 (2005/2006).
During this time, the series reached a total of 21.7 million total viewers (persons 2+), including 8.8 million kids 2-11 and 6.3 million kids 6-11*. Currently, Avatar: The Last Airbender is the number one program on Nicktoons among tweens. (Source: *Nielsen Cume Data – July 2008, Live + 7 day, 6 min. qualifier.)

Avatar: The Last Airbender was created and executive produced by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

An award-winning filmmaker, DiMartino was a director at Film Roman for six years, working on the prime-time animated series King of the Hill, Family Guy and Mission Hill. During his tenure there, DiMartino animated and directed the short animated film Atomic Love, which has gone on to screen at festivals across the country including Sundance and the Los Angeles Film Festival. It also aired as part of the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival.

Konietzko began his career in animation as a character designer at Film Roman for Fox’s prime- time series, Family Guy. He soon moved to the post of assistant director for two more Film Roman shows, Mission Hill and King of the Hill, working beside animation director DiMartino. Konietzko then became a storyboard artist and later an art director for the Nickelodeon animated series Invader Zim.

The new Avatar series will be produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif., and is co-executive produced by Joaquim Dos Santos.

You can ask the people who work in my office, but I was squeeing with glee over this news. It has made what could have been a lousy day the best day ever.

It is very interesting to me to hear that the show starts three quarters into her training and that the whole thing will revolve around mastering the last element. It makes sense that it would be that way, considering outside of Tenzin there probably aren’t too many airbenders floating around (no pun intended). I wonder how old Tenzin will be, though. Probably not a teenager, if human biology and the timeframes given have anything to say about it.

All of this conjecture is just that. All you need to know is that this new series is pretty much guaranteed to be amazing. Let’s hope we hear more in the next few days during Comic Con.

The original press release can be found here (in PDF form).

It’s our solemn duty an P&B to inform you of everything that is awesome. Generally those posts are about us, because we’re awesome, but this time you must know that the third theatrical trailer for The Last Airbender has now been released and it’s amazing. Some things to note:

• APPA, bitches! – I know someone who had heard a rumor that Appa was not going to be in the film, and although I like her, I’m glad she’s wrong. That furry guy is ever present and accounted for (at least in the short second we get to see him fly). Awesome.
• The Fire Nation army looks pretty sweet. I am enjoying their armor and masks. Awesome.
• THE BLUE SPIRIT – There is a pretty pivotal episode in the series where the Blue Spirit shows up and helps Aang. That particular episode is nearly all action. Well, he’s going to be in this film and it’s going to be awesome.

Do yourself a favor and go download the trailer. If your computer can handle 1080p, get it and put some plastic on the floor because this is about to melt your face off.

Awww suki suki now; just last week we were treated with another teaser trailer at the superbowl, but now we have a full fletched theatrical trailer on our hands of The Last Airbender!

We finally have some audio on a couple of characters speaking, as well as a closer look at how Aang’s tattoos are depicted (hint: they’re badass). Trailer after the break.

It looks to be what we’ve expected; that is, a retelling of the first book (season) of the series. Here’s to hoping they’ve already greenlit books 2 and 3, so long as this film doesn’t blow. My hopes are going up some more. Time to start watching the series again.

Make no bones about it, Avatar: The Last Airbender came way before Avatar: The Blue Thundercats, and it is also much more awesome. (Henceforth on this website, “Avatar” will refer to The Last Airbender rather than that fluff Cameron did.) There are currently two trailers for the Avatar movie that is coming out in July, and if you’ve been to a theater and seen any number of movies in the last six months, you’ve probably seen the first teaser trailer.

This weekend, when the stuporbowl is airing, there is plans to show the second teaser to the masses for massive mass consumption. Luckily, the internet always wins in regards to everything, and the trailer is online already, courtesy of aintitcool.com:

We’ve discussed Avatar on the show before, and if you didn’t see that episode (shame on you), I personally went off of a tirade of how amazing the television show is. I currently have an unhealthy level of excitement for this movie, and if M. Knight Shyasdfjkl;sdf can pull it off, he will totally redeem himself after The Happenning.

Books:

• Leviathan
• A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
• A Prayer for Owen Meany
• The Eyes of the Dragon
• McTeague
• The Master and Margarita

Movies:

• Man on Wire
• Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
• Avatar The Last Airbender – The Complete Book 1 Collection
• Avatar The Last Airbender – The Complete Book 2 Collection
• Avatar The Last Airbender – The Complete Book 3 Collection
• La Femme Nikita [Blu-ray]
• Ponyo
• Metropolitan – Criterion Collection

Right click and download the eighty-fifth episode here:

• MP4 291mb

Comments or questions? Email us at: pnbfans(at)gmail(dot)com

Books:

• The Master and Margarita

Movies:

• Avatar The Last Airbender – The Complete Book 1 Collection
• Avatar The Last Airbender – The Complete Book 2 Collection
• Avatar The Last Airbender – The Complete Book 3 Collection

Right click and download the seventy-fourth episode here:

• MP4 266mb

Comments or questions? Email us at: pnbfans(at)gmail(dot)com