Paramount Sends 'Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender' to Theaters for One Week, Aiming for Oscar Eligibility

Paramount and Nickelodeon are giving their new animated film "Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender" a brief window on the big screen. The movie will play in select AMC Theatres in Los Angeles and New York for one week, from July 24 to July 30, while also hitting Paramount+ on July 25, according to multiple reports.

"Paramount and Nickelodeon are bringing Avatar: The Last Airbender to AMC Theatres for an official theatrical release, in addition to its availability on Paramount Plus."

polygonAvatar: The Last Airbender gets official theatrical release at AMC Theatres

The limited theatrical run is clearly a strategic awards-qualifying maneuver. Variety reported that the one-week engagement signals the studio's intention to campaign the film for the Oscar for best animated feature and other accolades, a common practice for streaming-first titles seeking Academy consideration.

Variety'Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender' Gets Limited Awards-Qualifying Theatrical Run in LA and New York

"The move signals the studio's intention to campaign the film for the Oscar for best animated feature and other accolades."

Collider framed the release as a last-minute reversal after a controversial initial decision. "After Paramount made the divisive decision to send the movie to streaming," Collider wrote, "Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender will debut in theaters this month after all." The theatrical component is not a wide release, however, meaning most audiences outside the two cities will need to watch the film exclusively on Paramount+.

Collider'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Movie Scores Last-Minute Theatrical Release

Epicstream noted that the film bypassed a traditional theatrical rollout entirely, but fans can now catch it in a handful of venues or via the streaming service. ComicBook and nkomode.com echoed that the screenings are limited to AMC locations in Los Angeles and New York, making the big-screen experience available only to a select few in the United States.

3 sources

EpicstreamWhere to Watch Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender Movie Onlinenkomode.com‘Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender’ to Play in Select Movie Theaters Alongside Paramount+ Streaming Release (EXCLUSIVE)ComicBookNew Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie Is Coming to Theaters Soon (But Not for Everyone)