Paramount is giving Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender a brief theatrical rollout, but only in the most restricted way possible. According to the report, the animated sequel will play for one week in just two theaters across the United States before its streaming debut on Paramount+.
The screenings are scheduled for the AMC Burbank Town Center 6 in Los Angeles and the AMC Empire 25 in New York City. Both locations will show the film three times per day from July 24 through July 30, which adds up to roughly 42 total screenings. The move appears designed to qualify the movie for awards consideration while still keeping the release extremely limited.
The film had already faced a difficult release path. It was removed from a planned theatrical run and shifted to Paramount+, and it was later leaked online in full in April without watermarks. Its Paramount+ debut has since been moved up to July 25, only a day after the theatrical run begins. According to the report, many fans have wanted a proper big-screen release, especially because the animation is said to benefit from the theatrical format.
For viewers outside New York and Los Angeles, though, the opportunity to see it in theaters will not exist unless Paramount expands the rollout. For now, the film’s wider audience will have to wait for streaming, while the company’s awards-season strategy remains limited to two coastal venues.
Source: kotaku.com
