Photo from Nickelodeon.
An animator of the upcoming film The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender criticized the online leak of the project, calling it a disrespectful act toward the production team.
The animated film reportedly surfaced online ahead of its official release on Paramount+, with full copies circulating on social media platform X.
Animator Julia Schoel said the team spent years working on the project with the expectation that it would be properly released and celebrated.
She said it was disheartening to see the finished work shared online without authorization and compared it to how artists’ work was being casually distributed.
Schoel also reacted to claims that the studio’s earlier decision to skip a theatrical release justified the leak, saying such reasoning was not acceptable.
She said she understood frustrations over distribution choices but stressed that leaking the film still disrespected the effort of the production staff.
In a separate explanation, she said early leaks can damage a project by undermining its planned rollout, including promotions and official screenings.
The film, which will stream later this year on Paramount+, follows Avatar Aang as he races to protect a powerful force that could determine the fate of his world.