Earlier this week, we at Knight Edge Media were given access to a new casting call from Nickelodeon Animation. The secret casting call was for a new animated project expected to begin voice recording this month in Burbank, CA. The project is currently being made under the working title Red Thunder. After speaking to a source, we can confirm that this new series is indeed a new Avatar: The Last Airbender series from Avatar Studios. It should also be noted that Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko briefly revealed to IGN at SDCC 2025 this past July that other shows were already in development at Avatar Studios.
While many might think this casting call will be for the previously announced Avatar: Seven Havens, it should be noted from our previous reporting that the show began production back in 2023 under the working title Aurora. The secret casting call is also for two Native American leads, which could mean the series follows a waterbender, though it is unknown if they are a previous Avatar (like Avatar Kuruk) or just supporting characters:
[ BAROO ] – Teens and Adults to play 14yo Native North American (Mainland United States and Canada) – Male. Baroo is an earnest, impulsive, spacey teen with skate/grunge rocker vibes. He’s an underachieving apprentice spellsmith—an unlikely person to be tasked with saving the world, but that’s his destiny. It’s hard for him to pass up a good time or a daredevil stunt, but he’ll drop everything to help a stranger in need. He’s an optimist with a brightly burning spirit, and a goofball who brings joy when he’s not ushering in chaos. Baroo is an intrepid risk-taker. If he gets an idea in his head, it’s like an itch he must scratch, even if the chances for success are slim and chances for injury are high. Thinking things through is not his strong suit. He’s all about good vibes and is highly allergic to bad vibes. When someone is making everyone have a bad time, most notably a bully or a peacock, Baroo isn’t afraid to dish up some comeuppance. Or at least attempt to. He’ll pick a fight he can’t win, as long as it’s for the right reasons. He’s charming and has an energy that just attracts most people. Sort of like a golden retriever. He might ruin your rosebushes with a badly planned stunt, but you can’t hate him for it because of his dopey smile…SERIES REGULAR.
Vocal traits: Can have a unique vocal quality, laid-back vibe, languid, authentic-sounding teen (not a cartoony voice). Adjectives: Swings between being laid-back/spacey and hyperactive/hyped. He’s earnest, poetic, with good vibes.
[ MEEBS ] – Teens and Adults to play 14yo Native North American (Mainland United States and Canada) – Male. Meebs is usually the smartest person in the room, as well as the laziest. He has perfected the art of doing just enough to get by. He’s a trainee in the retinue of the Chancellor—an elite role for a young person. His parents hope one day Meebs will become the next Chancellor and bring prestige to their influential family, but he isn’t interested in any of that. He doesn’t know what he wants out of life, but he knows he’s bored with politics and the stuffy, traditional environment in which he’s been raised. Meebs is the polar opposite of his best friend, Baroo, but he’s drawn to Baroo for his free spirit and authenticity. And even though he can’t admit it to himself yet, maybe Meebs longs to free his own spirit too. Meebs is the de-facto negotiator for the group, the Keystone Wizard’s ambassador to the world. His high intelligence and sharp wits help Baroo identify and correct the wrongs in the world they encounter. Note, this role might sing later in the series. But he doesn’t need to be skilled at it…SERIES REGULAR
Vocal traits: Articulate, smooth, wry, rapid talker, highly educated, authentic-sounding teen (not a cartoony voice) Adjectives: Book smart, high social IQ, privileged, lazy, discerning taste, trust fund kid
The series has only had a 22-minute pilot greenlight at this time. It is worth noting that we discovered a leaked slate of Avatar Studios projects that were in development at the time, which included a new, unannounced series. However, the logo had an airbending logo, which we speculated could be related to a new Airbender-avatar TV series.
Therefore, it’s unknown whether that show was scrapped for a new show or if these characters are from that Airbending series. However, we should expect this series to be released between the second and third theatrical films in the confirmed trilogy. No further information is available about the series at this time.
Avatar: Red Thunder has no set release date
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