Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sequel Greenlit
For all of the critical hate Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles received this weekend following its debut, it was a financial success, making $65m to take the top spot at the box office away from Guardians of the Galaxy. As if the notion was ever in doubt, Paramount Pictures announced that a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sequel has been greenlit with a scheduled 2016 release. The film's screenwriters, Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, will return to write the sequel's script, but there's no word if director Jonathan Liebsman will return. Here's the official word from Paramount's Adam Goodman:
Launching a new take on the Turtles into the feature film world was a daunting task because as fans of them ourselves, we felt a great responsibility to ensure audiences were going to experience everything they loved about the Turtles, while also getting to see them brought to life in a way they had never been seen before. The result exceeded our high expectations and the response to the film is beyond great, making it all the more fun to get started on the continuation of their story.
I caught Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Saturday, and while I had major qualms with the film's plot and narrative, I ultimately liked the film's message and characterization of the Turtles themselves. If you haven't seen it yet, go into the theater knowing that it's a film created with the current generation of kids in mind and not meant to appease older fans. The film still has a lot for both young and old fans to enjoy, but here's hoping the sequel will skewer a bit towards the older crowd.
[via /Film]
New Batch of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Images
I've thrown caution to the wind when it comes to the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. I was hesitant, didn't want to get my hopes up, yet optimistic that, despite Michael Bay's involvement with the franchise, the Turtles could return to the big screen in an entertaining and successful way. Then suddenly, over the past week, my mind became occupied with how awesome it would be to see my friends again, no matter the situation. Honestly, I should know better. As somebody who loves to analyze adaptations and compare/contrast them with their source material, I know there's a very high chance that I'll be let down, left defeated and disappointed. However, in spite of that, I'm latching on to the small glimmer of hope that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be everything I want it to be.
For now, enjoy this new batch of high-res images from the film. Collider has plenty more if you're jonesing for more Turtles. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be hitting theaters on Friday.
[via Collider]
[Trailer 3] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
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The latest trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is here, giving the Turtles a much needed spotlight to show off their new look, as well as a more contextual look at the film's narrative. The newest footage features what's implied to be the Turtles' first meeting with April O'Neil (Megan Fox), a closer look at Shredder, first footage of Will Arnett's character, Vernon Fenwick, a glimpse at Whoopi Goldberg's appearance, and more! There's even a tongue-in-cheek quip about the early origin rumors that had the turtles be aliens and not mutants.
Those worried about the film being too "Michael Bay-esque" will still find the same tone throughout the film. However, I'm more supportive of it now that some action scenes have been shared. The story might be a bit heavy handed (including a twist that implies William Fichtner's Eric Sachs might not actually be The Shredder!), but as long as it's buoyed by strong set pieces and action, it'll all be good.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be in theaters on August 8th. You can check out the latest character posters below.
[Trailer 2] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
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The second trailer for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot was released last night. While it shares a lot of the same footage from the first trailer that was released in March, this new clip does shed light on the rest of the Turtles and Shredder. The most disheartening thing? Michelangelo riding a skateboard. Yes, I understand that skating and being "extreme" is all in the orange clad Turtle's DNA, but come on... If you're attentive, you can also hear a little snippet of Johnny Knoxville's take on Leonardo, as well.
If you're checking out The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 3D this weekend, the new trailer will be attached to it in full 3D glory. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will have us questioning our childhoods when it hits theaters in August.
[Video] New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Clip Shows Glimpse of Splinter
Everything's falling into place for Jonathan Liebesman's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot. Last week, the film's first promotional posters were revealed that highlighted each turtles' weapons. Then, of course, there was the trailer that revealed the turtles' nostrils and Megan Fox looking very... foxy, for once. Now, the hype train continues as the first TV spot for the film was shown last night. While it recycles some of the same footage found in the trailer, including the attempt at comedy in the trailer's final seconds, it does feature some new scenes, including a glimpse at the turtles' master, Splinter.
This super short clip heightened my expectations for the film, especially since it showcased some more action scenes that I felt the trailer sorely lacked. With the announcement of Johnny Knoxville voicing Leonardo, I'm hesitant to get excited for the rest of the cast. We'll see how everything turns out come August!
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First Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Posters Revealed
The closer we get to August, the more hype builds up for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot. Just last week, we found out that Jackass star Johnny Knoxville was cast as the voice of Leonardo, and now we have the first promotional posters for the film. The teasers highlight each Turtles' weapon of choice bathed in their corresponding color. They're not exactly the greatest posters, but anything TMNT-related is sure to feed the frenzy, even if the Turtles have nostrils...
Rumors circulated last week that the film would be delayed past its scheduled August 8th release date, but as these posters make clear, the date is still being targeted for release. As much as I like film marketing as crunch time grows tighter, I still would like to know who's being cast to voice the other three Turtles instead of seeing more film stills and posters. Priorities, guys!
Anyways, enjoy the posters in the gallery below, as well as a look at Megan Fox as April O'Neil in the header. Don't even get me started on her use of a PowerShot camera instead of a proper dSLR...
Johnny Knoxville Voicing Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
...what the what? It appears that the de facto leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the blue-masked, katana-wielding Leonardo, will be voiced by none other than Jackass star Johnny Knoxville in Jonathan Liebesman's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot. This is a bit odd, considering Knoxville's known for his wacky shenanigans whereas Leonardo's known for his... anti-wacky shenanigans. If anything, Knoxville would have fit more naturally as Michelangelo, the dude with the 'tude. However, this isn't my way of saying Knoxville can't portray Leonardo in a fitting way, especially if the film's script calls for a less serious Leonardo, or if Knoxville can be firm and wise in playing the part.
Also joining the voice cast is Monk's Tony Shalhoub as the turtles' father figure, Splinter. His casting is more fitting, as Shalhoub's turn as Monk is much more in line with Splinter. I know there were worries that Splinter wouldn't be in the film due to his lack of screen time in the first trailer, but what's a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film without Splinter or pizza? Then again... there was a distinct lack of pizza in the trailer, too.
Now that the first two voices have been announced, it's only a matter of time before we find out who'll portray the rest of the brothers in the Michael Bay-produced reboot. Are there any actors out there that you'd want to portray your favorite turtles? Let us know!
[via /Film]
[Trailer] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
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If there are two things that should never be combined, it's Michael Bay and popular '80s children's franchises (see: Transformers film franchise). Granted, Transformers: Age of Extinction actually looks good and will hopefully remedy the previous trilogy of films, but I digress... While my appreciation for Transformers was definitely a byproduct of my teenage years, I actually was in the swing of things when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles struck gold during the late '80s/early '90s. It's kind of harrowing to watch Bay take on another beloved pop culture franchise and leave his mark on it, yet I know he has the best intentions in mind... even if those intentions involve a litany of unnecessary grit and explosions. The very fact that he's simply overseeing production of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film reboot is in itself a great sign for the film. Director Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath of the Titans, Battle: Los Angeles) doesn't necessarily have the best track record, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt considering how much I love the Ninja Turtles... and then the toy tie-ins were leaked, revealing the official designs for the fantastic foursome. I think it's safe to say that the internet let out a collective groan upon first look.
With the first actual trailer for the film out, a few changes were made to update the standard Ninja Turtles mythos. It appears that Oroku Saki (The Shredder) is now known as Eric Sachs (portrayed by William Fichtner), and it was he and April O'Neil's (Megan Fox) father that created the ooze that birthed Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie. Of course, what's a story when all we care about is how the turtles themselves look? In short... they're not that bad, but they could definitely be a whole lot better. I guess, technically, they look more like turtles than they ever did, and I do appreciate the attempts to individualize each of them by adding extra flair to their designs. However, what still needs to be seen is how much action will be featured in the film. I'm hoping a lot, and in the form of pencak silat.