"Ninja Turtles" Filming and Casting Updates

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The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports that next year's "Ninja Turtles" movie will film scenes at Big Tupper Ski Area, in Tupper Lake, NY, which currently sits dormant.

The movie is mainly being shot in New York City, but Paramount went to the state to find a ski slope where it would be able to shoot part of the action, said village Mayor Paul Maroun. 

Posted signs tell visitors to stay out of the Big Tupper Ski Area while a movie is being filmed there. 

"They needed a ski resort that was closed," Maroun said. "Big Tupper fit it perfectly."

Unfortunately, this news most likely means that the current working script is still based around the script that was leaked online last summer.

E-mail script/filming info and/or set pictures! Anonymity will be maintained!

In other news, actor Alan Ritchson has confirmed that he has been cast as Raphael in the movie.

To answer ur tweets, YES I'm Raphael.I u think u know what to expect, u have NO idea.. You won't be disappointed.Trust me.. #TMNT
— Alan Ritchson (@alanritchson) March 22, 2013

It is assumed that Mr. Ritchson will be doing motion capture work for the role, although it is not confirmed it he will also be performing the voice.

With filming just about to begin, we should be hearing more casting information any time now. The only other known cast member at the moment is Megan Fox as April O'Neil.

"Ninja Turtles" Movie Pushed Back to June 6, 2014

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Less than a week after the announcement that Megan Fox has been cast as April O'Neil in next year's Ninja Turtles movie, comes the news that Paramount has pushed back the release date from May 16, 2014 to June 6, 2014.

Speculation is that Paramount moved the release date so as not to compete with a new Godzilla movie, which is scheduled for May 16. As of right now, Ninja Turtles is free from competition on its new June release date.

Michael Bay Casts Megan Fox in "Ninja Turtles"

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With filming for next year's Ninja Turtles film apparently ready to begin in April, it's about time for us to start hearing casting news. Michael Bay himself has created a bit of a stir with a brief statement on his official website.

TMNT: we are bringing Megan Fox back into the family!

Despite getting fired from the Transformers series between Transformers 2 and Transformers 3, it would seem that Bay has decided to give Fox another chance to be in one of his films. Of course, as of right now there is no official confirmation via Paramount, so we can only speculate as to what role she might be playing. But the obvious role in a TMNT story would be April O'Neil. It shouldn't be too long before we get confirmation on this and other casting decisions.

UPDATE: Numerous sources are now confirming that Fox will be playing April O'Neil in the upcoming movie.

Ernie Reyes, Jr. "Ninja Turtles" Pitch Video

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Ernie Reyes, Jr. (Donatello's stunt double in TMNT 1, Keno in TMNT 2) has released the above video in an effort to be hired as the martial arts consultant for the new Ninja Turtles movie, which begins filming in April. The video is am impressive compilation of Reyes's on-screen martial arts experience. It's clear that if he were involved, Ninja Turtles would be filled with some top-notch, intense action!

"Ninja Turtles" to Begin Filming in New York in April

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Principle photography on TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, is scheduled to begin this April in New York.
— Production Weekly (@prodweek) January 12, 2013

While no details are currently available, the above tweet showed up over the weekend, declaring that filming on the upcoming live action TMNT movie would begin in New York starting in April. Previously, the movie had been scheduled to film in Vancouver (before getting shut down back in June). It is likely that New York filming will consist of establishing shots, considering the lower cost of shooting a movie in Vancouver.

Whatever the case, this news means that the movie is ready to start moving forward again. Let's just hope the script has been completely rewritten so that it doesn't at all resemble the absolute piece of crap script that was leaked online over the summer.

Alamo Drafthouse Screening "Secret of the Ooze"; Ernie Reyes Jr. in the House

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On Friday, October 5 (that's tomorrow), the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX will be screening Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, with special guest Ernie Reyes, Jr. (aka Keno)!

The first screening at 8:00pm has sold out, but a second screening at 10:45pm has been added. Included in the price of your ticket is your right to EAT AS MUCH PIZZA AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN! But save room for the special Secret of the Ooze dessert. Buy tickets now!

And if you miss out on this event, or you'd like a bonus dose of Ernie Reyes, Jr., the Alamo Drafthouse is also screening Surf Ninjas with Ernie as a special guest at 7:00pm on Saturday, October 6! (Get tickets!)

"Ninja Turtles" Movie Not To Be Delayed Too Long

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Last week's announcement that production on the new TMNT movie scheduled for 2013, which was just about to begin in Vancouver, had been suddenly shut down came as a bit of a shock. As more details became available, it was discovered that the movie has, at this point, only been delayed for about five months.

Variety reports that the new target release date for the project is May 16, 2014.

Sources say "Turtles" was pushed because the filmmakers and studio felt they wouldn't be ready for the October shoot date. Paramount had no comment. 

The shutdown is not indefinite and the plan is to work on the script over the next couple of weeks in order to beef up the material and bring the budget down slightly.

It sounds like there are concerns about the script in its current state, but they're not starting over from scratch, so it's unknown if the "alien" element of the story will remain or not. But if they're trying to bring the budget down, it may be that they need to tone down the amount of effects-heavy space elements. It will certainly be interesting to see how this develops!

New "Ninja Turtles" Movie Cancelled?

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An annonymous e-mailer has written in stating that the new TMNT movie that was to film in Vancouver this summer/fall for a Christmas 2013 release has, apparently, been shut down.

The e-mailer, who works in the Vancouver film industry, states that this went down suddenly just yesterday, apparently due to the massive amounts of negative backlash that followed Michael Bay's revelation that the story was to be spaced-based and that the Turtles would now be aliens.

However, although the current production has been halted, there will likely be (yet) another script written for an eventual movie. Maybe...

Ain't It Cool is also now reporting this news.

Michael Bay's "Ninja Turtles" to Film in Vancouver This Fall

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TheProvince.com has picked up on buzz around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that would have the new TMNT movie, currently titled "Ninja Turtles," filming in the city late summer/fall of this year.

This is in line with statements from director Jonathan Liebman earlier this year saying that they were looking at filming in Canada this summer/fall.

"Ninja Turtles" is scheduled for release Christmas 2013.

Potential Kevin Eastman Movie Concept Art Surfaces

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Yesterday, Scott Mescudi posted a curious piece of Kevin Eastman art to his Tumblr account (and, likewise, to Twitter). He states that it was a gift given to him by Andrew Form and Brad Fuller of Platinum Dunes, the company producing the new movie.

The piece, which appears to be a print, is dated 2012 and depicts a Turtle in what could be Casey Jones-like gear. (Or, dare I say it - Alien gear?)

Thanks to the one and only Ernie Reyes, Jr. for bringing this to attention on Facebook!

New Movie to be Called "Ninja Turtles" - Michael Bay Clarifies Why

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Still worked up about Michael Bay's "alien" comments from a couple weeks ago, another wave of Internet rage seems to have emerged with the revelation that the working title of the film is simply "Ninja Turtles." People seem to be interpreting this as a way to delete both the mutant and teenage aspects of the characters from the film. However, in another statement made on his official message boards, Bay clarifies that the title change was made by Paramount (not Bay) to simplify the title. In his full statement, he also reiterates that great care is going into the movie to make it something the fans are going to love.

Paramount marketing changed the name. They made the title simple. The characters you all remember are exactly the same, and yes they still act like teenagers. Everything you remember, why you liked the characters, is in the movie. This script is being developed by two very smart writers, with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles. They care VERY MUCH about making this film for the fans. Everyone on this team cares about the fans. Just give them a chance. Jonathan the director, is a major fan of the whole franchise. HE'S NOT GOING TO LET YOU DOWN.
MICHAEL

Of course, saying "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" repeatedly gets tiring quite fast, and pretty much everyone has simplified it to "Ninja Turtles" anyways. Considering that there are also already three movies that start with "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," differentiating this new movie from the old ones is a no-brainer.

Director Jonathan Liebesman Comments on New TMNT Movie

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While doing press for the upcoming Wrath of the Titans, Jonathan Liebesman finally had a chance to have his own say about the recent "alien" controversy in an interview with Collider.com. And in doing so, he pretty much confirms that the Turtles themselves aren't going to be aliens. He actually said all the right things that should make any TMNT fan ready to embrace and be excited for this movie.

"Look, it's so funny—if everyone was such a die-hard fan, they would know that the TCRI canisters where the ooze comes from. That is alien ooze. Now I'm not saying what Michael said is exactly what the movie is, because we're sitting in a room now figuring everything out. So we don't know, but we are like Michael said: we're expanding it, and the expansion will be true to the mythology. I promise you: fans will love it."

He also commented that this isn't just going to be an action movie.

"We're definitely into the action, but for me what's more important than that is that it's a story about brotherhood and friendship and responsibility. Right now, I'm with the characters because those are what attracted me to the movie. They're the best characters I'll have had a chance to deal with."

These comments alone should be enough to satisfy fans that this movie is going in the right direction and that, for now at least, there's no need for nerd rage.

Further details speak to Kevin Eastman's involvement in the film:

"A lot of it is stuff he’s wanted to do for a long time, but just hasn’t had the opportunity [before, but] now we have the budget ... on this film to expand it in the right way."

Finally, Liebesman mentions that the film could be filming in Canada sometime around September, and that they're looking at rendering the Turtles with motion capture suits, similar to Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

TMNT Creators Weigh-In On Bay's Turtles

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Kevin Eastman drawing secret stuff.
Photo by: Jonathan Liebesman

When Michael Bay posted a comment to his official message boards responding to the outrage over the revelation of "alien" Turtles, he mentioned that he was working with one of the original creators on the project. It was easy to speculate that that person was Kevin Eastman, but Kevin has now confirmed that with a brief update to his Facebook page.

Hey Guys, Sorry to have been away for so long--completely swamped with work--but it is some pretty exciting stuff. I had been invited to check out the TMNT film development by my friend Scott Mednick over the years, and a while back had a full look behind the curtain at what writers Appelbaum and Nemec, director Liebesman, and producer Bay are doing--and trust me--it IS AWESOME. I'm officially on board, and will share more as I'm allowed… thanks all!

So, it looks like Kevin is behind the project 100%. And that's good enough assurance for me.

Meanwhile, Peter Laird has posted some of his own musings on the topic on his blog, although he has no personal involvement in the project and knows only as much as the rest of us do. He also drew a cute little alien Turtle.

Michael Bay Responds to "Alien" Outrage

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As you most likely know by now, Michael Bay created a bit of Internet outrage last week with some comments he made about the new TMNT movie, scheduled for release Christmas 2013. Here's the entirety of the current controversy:






There are several possible interpretations, but "These Turtles are from an alien race," seems pretty straight forward. Although the Turtles have always been Earth-based, their origin in the original comic books and 4Kids TV series came from an ooze created by the alien Utroms. However, when taken at face value, Bay's comments really do seem to indicate that the Turtles themselves are now going to be aliens. What's a fan to think?

Well, let's keep some things in mind, especially before declaring that Michael Bay is ruining the TMNT. Even though he made this presentation, he is still only a producer on the project. He did not write the script and he is not directing.

Just a short while ago, on his official message boards, Mr. Bay responded to all the outrage:

Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world.   

Michael

It's safe to assume that the creator being spoken about is Kevin Eastman. Not only is Peter Laird absolutely not involved in any of the new projects, but Kevin mentioned having seen the script in an interview late last year during the Lost Angeles: 35 Days of Kevin Eastman event at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles.

I think for the time being we all owe it to the involved persons to keep an open mind and give this thing a chance. Literally all we know about anything at this point is seven words. And the story and appeal of the Turtles is a lot deeper than their origin.

New TMNT Movie Officially Scheduled for December 2013

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Deadline.com is reporting tonight that the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, which has been in development for several years now, has an official release date scheduled for Christmas 2013.

And with all signs pointing at the movie moving forward into production, Jonathan Liebesman has been named director. Just a month ago he was rumored to be in talks for the job.

The movie is said to be a live action-CGI combo, although there are no specifics are mentioned on exactly how the Turtles themselves will be realized.

Jonathan Liebesman in Talks to Direct TMNT Movie

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Variety reported late last night that "Battle: Los Angeles" director Jonathan Liebesman is in talks to direct the new TMNT movie from Paramount, which has been in development for over two years now.

Brad Fuller, producer on the film, has been dropping hints on Twitter that things are moving along with it and that he hopes to be making it by summer.

After several screenwriter changes, signs are pointing to this project finally becoming a reality!

December Coloring Contest Prize Package Details

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There's still just under a week left to enter the first annual Ninja Pizza December Coloring Contest. There have been a bunch of really great entries so far, all of which can be seen over on the Ninja Pizza Facebook page. But if you haven't entered yet, he's a little incentive for you to break out the crayons.

As originally mentioned, the two winners will receive a prize package that includes an IDW TMNT Ashcan comic, a limited edition Ninja Pizza button, and a set of basic/common cards from the Upperdeck Trading Card Game. I also said I'd see what else I could find to throw into the mix. Here's a peek at what I've come up with (so far - there may or may not be more).

Vintage TMNT Christmas Card (new)

TMNT (1990) Trailer Laminated Film Cels

As you can see above, there's a vintage TMNT Christmas card (new, never used), and (I think this is the best part) a series of laminated film cels from an original print of the classic 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie trailer. Each strip will consist of five cells and I think they make for rather neat bookmarks. Each winner will have their pick of which small clip from the trailer they would like.

And because I was able to get the film cell idea to actually work, I'm announcing a PARTICIPATION PRIZE! Everyone who enters the coloring contest will receive a laminated strip of film cels! You'll be able to request a character(s), which I will do my best to fulfill, although I can't make promises about specific clips/scenes. After the New Year I will be making additional film strips available to purchase, but it's going to be the left overs of what I give away through this contest.

International participants will be requested to make a small donation to cover the cost of shipping your prize, and while I won't require it of US shipping addresses, donations would still be appreciated.

Happy coloring!

Recent TMNT-Themed Podcasts

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Two awesome geeky podcasts have recently had TMNT-themed episodes that are definitely worth your time to download and listen to.

The first is from Nerdy Show, which has interviews with Polaris Banks, writer/director of the recent Casey Jones fan film, and Steve Barron, director of the first TMNT movie. (Tip: Skip ahead to 30:00 to hear Polaris Banks and to 1:12:00 to hear Steve Barron.)

The next comes from Nerdist and The Mutant Season podcast, which spent some time with Kevin Eastman as he prepared for his LOST ANGELES: 35 Days With Kevin Eastman exhibit (going on right now!) at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles.

The World Trade Center as the TMNT Saw It

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Ten years ago today, the skyline of New York City changed forever. As the Turtles have always called New York home, that lost skyline was often seen throughout all the mediums in which TMNT stories have been told. To reflect on the time before September 11, 2001, here's a look at some of the reminders we are left with of the World Trade Center, as seen through the eyes of a TMNT fan.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

The Twin Towers silently established the location of all three live-action TMNT movies.

TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 (1993)

TMNT (1990) Movie Screening in Cleveland, OH (Plus a Sandwich!)

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The Capitol Theater in Cleveland, OH, will be hosting a midnight screening of the original 1990 TMNT movie this coming Saturday night, August 20, 2011. You can buy advance tickets to the screening here.

The screening is part of the Melt Bar & Grilled Late Shift series, which combines classic movies with grilled sandwiches. The poster to the left was specially designed for this event and promotes the TMNT sandwich that will be available for only two nights. According to the poster, the sandwich features "real cheese pizza rolls deep friend 'til extra crispy and atomic hot, rich homemade marinara, green ooze basil pesto cream cheese, and provolone and romano cheese." You can also add crisp pepperoni for $1. (Whoa, heart attack!)

So if you're in Cleveland, this sounds like a fun opportunity to see the original TMNT movie. And if you try the sandwich, at least it will be a delicious last meal! ;)

Thanks to I Crave Pizza No More on The Technodrome for the heads-up!