Avatar (2009) vs. The Last Airbender (2010)

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If you're confused by the two upcoming movies 'Avatar' and 'The Last Airbender' or if you think they are related projects, join the crowd.

About a week ago my nephew mentioned to me that he was really excited to see 'Avatar' after watching the teaser trailer. What he actually viewed was the teaser for M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Last Airbender'. Knowing he is a devoted fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the animated TV series that aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon, I immediately recognized that he was confused by two completely unrelated films 'Avatar' and 'The Last Airbender'.

He's not alone, I've read that several people attending the free 16 minute 'Avatar' screening Friday reportedly said "This doesn't look anything like the cartoon". Even some bloggers are boggled by the branding campaigns.

The logo for 'Avatar' is noticeably similar to the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender. Google is confused as well. Just type "Avatar movie" into the popular search engine and you will get results for both films. The once top secret storylines of the two projects only add to the confusion.

Here's the lowdown:

'Avatar' is an original live action/CGI (Computer-generated imagery) 3D fantasy adventure written by director James Cameron ('Titanic', 'The Terminator', 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day', 'Aliens', 'The Abyss', 'True Lies'). The film will be released December 18, 2009. You can watch the trailer here.

Plot Details: The story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people.

'The Last Airbender', directed by M. Night Shyamalan ('The Sixth Sense', 'The Happening', 'Unbreakable', 'Signs', 'The Village'), is the live action film adaptation of the animated TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The film will be released July 2, 2010. You can watch the trailer here.

Plot Details: Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Four nations tied by destiny when the Fire Nation launches a brutal war against the others. A century has passed with no hope in sight to change the path of this destruction. Caught between combat and courage, Aang (Noah Ringer) discovers he is the lone Avatar with the power to manipulate all four elements. Aang teams with Katara (Nicola Peltz), a Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), to restore balance to their war-torn world.