Netflix working on 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' live-action series

Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Sleepy Hollow and Nikita writer Albert Kim has announced he is working on a live-action Netflix series based on the Nickelodeon anime show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

"My first thought was, 'Why? What is there I could do or say with the story that wasn't done or said in the original?' A:TLA had only grown in popularity and acclaim over the last decade and a half, which is a testament to how complete and resonant a narrative experience it had been. So if it ain't broke, why fix it?" show-runner Kim said in a statement Thursday.

"But the more I thought about it, the more intrigued I became," he added. "VFX technology has advanced to the point where a live-action version can not only faithfully translate what had been done in animation -- it can bring a rich new visual dimension to a fantastic world. We'll be able to see bending in a real and visceral way we've never seen before."

The original show -- which followed people who could magically manipulate the four elements of fire, water, air and earth -- initially ran on Nickelodeon 2005-08.

The franchise has inspired comic books and novels, as well as a 2010 live-action movie.

Leading the cast of the live-action streaming project will be Gordon Cormier as Aang; Kiawentiio as Katara; Ian Ousley as Sokka; and Dallas Liu as Zuko.