It's been an eventful few days, and we round up the geek TV news here.
Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have left the Netflix live action adaptation announced back in 2018 (see "Live Action ‘Avatar’ Happening"), DiMartino announced in a post on his blog. The pair had been hired as executive producers and showrunners, but there was clearly a dispute over creative direction. "It was the hardest professional decision I’ve ever had to make, and certainly not one that I took lightly, but it was necessary for my happiness and creative integrity," DiMartino wrote. The Netrlix series is proceeding without the pair, according to Variety.
Bek Smith has been signed to write a script for the Netflix feature based on Mark Millar’s Reborn, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her current credits are limited, but she’s reportedly working on the long-gestating 100 Bullets adaptation, and on an untitled Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse spinoff. Sandra Bullock is attached (see "Sandra Bullock ‘Reborn’").
Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy, which dropped on Netflix July31, was hot out of the chute, topping TV Time’s "Top Binge Shows" in its first week, according to Media Play News. TV Time, visited by over 1 million consumers each day, tracks viewership via the app. Binges are defined as watching four or more episodes of a show on a given day.
A new Ren & Stimpy series has been greenlit by Comedy Central, according to Entertainment Weekly. The series will be reimagined by a new creative team, with Nickelodeon Animation on board, according to the report. Original series creator John Kricfalusi was accused of abuse and harassment in 2018 (see "’Ren & Stimpy’ Creator Accused of Abuse, Harassment") and will apparently not be involved.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For producer Stephen L’Heureux has sued Frank Miller and his associate Silenn Thomas, alleging that they have defamed him and interfered with his ability to produce new movie and TV adaptations of Sin City and Hard Boiled, according to Deadline. The suit claims a variety of damages, estimated at $25 million or more. Miller’s attorney called the claims "baseless," and said the suit will be aggressively defended, according to the report.