Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy!
Avatar: The Last Airbender Renewed for Season 2 & 3
On New Comic Book Day of this past week (a.k.a. Wednesday!), Avatar: The Last Airbender fans rejoiced at the news of the live action Netflix series renewal for the much-anticipated second and third season.
Per Variety:
Netflix has renewed “Avatar: The Last Airbender” for two more seasons. The series, a live-action adaptation of the hit Nickelodeon series of the same name, will end with Season 3, following the same structure as the animated version.
… with no additional details.
The lack of a release date (or even an optimistic, hoping-for release date!), reminds me of the trajectory we’ve been on with both HBO’s House of the Dragon and Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power with high production, high fantasy storytelling and a lack of information about when we can expect to see more episodes.
*insert sad face emoji here*
Netflix Geeked on Instagram shared the news in a cute video featuring actor Daniel Dae Kim (who plays Firelord Ozai), breaking the news to the cast:
Netflix Geeked on Instagram: “how we told the cast that AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER is renewed for Seasons 2 & 3”
6,901 likes, 152 comments – netflixgeeked on March 6, 2024: “how we told the cast that AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER is renewed for Seasons 2 & 3”
There are rumours the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender shot alongside the first season in a move that has been common from streaming studios producing genre shows in order to off-set the immense cost of building out the world in the first place (such as building an entire VR wall which is the first of its kind in a country …), which may possibly leave only one more season for the growing cast to film.
My bet? A time jump between at least one of the final seasons, for sure!
Dune Part 2 Runs Away with Opening Weekend Box Office
On last week’s Did You Hear? I was already hyping up the box office take home for Dune Part 2. This week I am back to give you the actual numbers and they are even higher than everyone was predicting or expecting. Per CNN:
“Dune: Part Two” raked in $82.5 million at the domestic box office on during its opening weekend, narrowly surpassing the opening weekend of the 2023 blockbuster film “Oppenheimer.”4 days ago
… also making it the most financially successful film of 2024 so far. Now, I will admit, we’re not that far into 2024 yet, Spoilerites. I don’t want to be hyperbolic. I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves too much.
However … as a Dune stan and aspiring Bene Gesserit I’m not-not excited!
Dragon Ball Creator, Akira Toriyama, Passes Away
The New York Times has a really wonderful reflection on the impact of his career and work I recommend
checking out if you have only ever been a casual Dragon Ball fan. Not in a gatekeeping way, but to marvel at the scope of Toriyama’s influence.
News broke yesterday that Toriyama had passed on March 1st at the age of 68.
He is one of the most well-known and respected manga creators across the globe, not just in Japan, as the NYT explains:
Mr. Toriyama’s body of work, which also includes “Dr. Slump,” and “Sand Land,” is recognizable far beyond Japan’s borders, influencing generations of manga artists and cartoonists. He had several projects in the works at the time of his death, the studio said.
News of his death came through his studio rather than a family statement.
When Dragon Ball was adapted by Toei Animation in 1986 his legacy was cemented.
Aside from the massive popularity of his character Toriyama led a relatively private-life in a J.R.R. Tolkien-esque move. Despite a lack of public presence fans across social media (from Twitter to Instagram to Youtube), have come together to share personal stories of his work resonated with them and to support each other in the wake of his loss.
Respectfully, if you’ve been putting off exploring any of Toriyama’s incredible work this weekend may be the best time.
