Fans of the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe are pushing back after Paramount Pictures decided to scrap the planned theatrical release of The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. An online petition calling on the studio to restore the original theatrical release has gained significant traction. Thousands of supporters have argued that the franchise deserves a big-screen debut before heading to streaming.
Petition for The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender’s theatrical release nears 40k signatures
A growing number of fans are urging Paramount to reconsider the release strategy for The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. An online campaign requesting a theatrical release for the upcoming film has now collected close to 40,000 signatures.
In the petition, the organizer explains the disappointment felt by many fans after learning that the film would not be released in theaters. “As a lifelong fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, when I heard the announcement that Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender was being removed from theaters, I was extremely disappointed,” the message states.
The statement continues by emphasizing the significance of a big-screen experience for the franchise. “Many of us fans were ecstatic at the thought of reuniting with our beloved franchise on the big screen. It was a chance to relive those adventures on a grand scale and reintroduce this amazing universe to a new generation.”
The petition also suggests an alternative approach that could satisfy both audiences and the studio. “Let’s appeal to Paramount to reconsider their strategy and listen to the fans’ desires. We propose a dual release model, where the film would first debut in theaters, followed by a streaming release.”
The upcoming film continues the story of Avatar: The Last Airbender and is set years after the events of the original show. The narrative follows Aang as he discovers an ancient power that could help preserve his people and their culture. It had originally been scheduled to debut in theaters on October 9, 2026, before moving to streaming as part of Paramount Pictures’ revised strategy.
