'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' REBOOT

[Walts Ghost]

Jonathan Liebesman in Talks to Direct TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Reboot

Paramount is in development on a live-action reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It has been a rough transition so far from comic to feature, but the studio is taking the project in an unexpected direction. Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Andrew Form of Platinum Dunes—the production company behind horror remakes such A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th—are shepherding the reboot. The studio assigned the script to Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, the writers who most recently penned the whip-smart Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Now Variety reports Jonathan Liebesman is in negotiations to direct. Liebesman directed Battle: Los Angeles, and his next project is Wrath of the Titans. He’s the up-and-comer you call when you want a big action film. Tone will always be tricky when your main characters are anthropomorphic turtles who know martial arts. But if they can reinvent TMNT on the level of, say, Bay’s Transformers… well, that sounds like a blast.

Source

[toef]

I hate all these darker, more adult-oriented comic book movies, and have Batman Begins' success to thank for that... but if there's one movie I want to see done this way, it's a Ninja Turtles origin movie.

[Variable]

Originally Posted by toefer

I hate all these darker, more adult-oriented comic book movies, and have Batman Begins' success to thank for that... but if there's one movie I want to see done this way, it's a Ninja Turtles origin movie.

'all these'? not sure which you mean.

also, turtles will fit well because that's where it started. much darker in the original comics than it ended up in the movies and on tv.

[STARSCREAM]

Yep, I was about to say that the TMNT comics, where they originated, was much darker than the cartoon.

[MCT]

right, the original Turtles comics started out raw as hell. Very, very violent and bloody. The Christmas Day rooftop beatdown the Foot ninjas gave Leonardo was awesome. I was disappointed to see the franchise go the happy-happy joy-joy kiddie route, but I realized it was a necessary change.

I'm hoping it goes back to its roots for this movie, though. That would be absolutely awesome. No more "COWABUNGA, DUUUUDES!" nonsense.

[assydingo]

Liked the show and movies as a kid. I'd give this a chance.

[proxpilot]

cant wait for this

[OrlandoEastwood]

So, was the animated TMNT for nothing?

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by OrlandoEastwood

So, was the animated TMNT for nothing?

Probably unless they do plan a sequel which will probably be like 2011. Just like with Cars it is taking Pixar forever to make that sequel and still has a couple more years before that comes out.

[Diesel]

In April, it was announced that Mirage Studios would be making a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie with initial discussions involve using “hybrid” ninja turtles. Co-creator Peter Laird said early on that the plan is to do a “Batman Begins-style” reboot, retelling the Turtles’ origin story. But when discussion came to the storyline and villain, Laird seemed more excited about involving some of the characters not explored in the film, like Baxter Stockman and the robotic mousers, than revisiting The Foot Clan.

But it looks like the new film will be revisiting the story of Shredder and the Foot Clan after all. /Film reader movieboy alerts me to a casting call for martial arts experts to be part of the “stealth TMNT nemesis, the Foot Clan.” Details after the jump.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in association with Mirage Studios, 4Kids Entertainment and TMNT Productions will host an open casting call for martial arts experts to audition for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, hitting theaters in 2011. We will select the best from the auditions to be a part of the stealth TMNT nemesis, the Foot Clan.

The casting call is part of the 25th Anniversary Shell-ebration of the “Heroes on a Half Shell” in 2009, and a great way to bring together all schools of martial arts to become part of the new generation of TMNT.

We’re reaching out to ask for your participation in spreading the word to your associates, friends and family within the martial arts community. Details of the event are below, and final rules/regulations will be posted shortly.

When: Saturday, July 18, 2009 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Where: Hollywood & Highland
6801 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
*At Grand Staircase

Who: Judges to include actor and martial arts expert Ernie Reyes, Jr., Jason Morgan from the American Taekwondo Association, and 2011 TMNT movie producers Scott Mednick and Galen Walker.

Audition: 30-Second Martial Arts Demo (Single Person Only)

No metal, sharp or bladed weapons of any kind allowed

Photo and updated resume with contact information

Fourteen years or older (under 18 must have adult permission for audition)

Yes

[iori]

Just remember, never lower your eyes to an enemy.

[Q?]

We, like many others, missed this news item as it hit late last week. Last year it was announced that The Mirage Group/Legendary Pictures were developing a new live-action big screen movie reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Could the above left image (found on LatinoReview) be our first look at the new design of the Ninja Turtles? It definitely looks a lot more realistic. Very similar to a fan-made real-life ninja turtle design we posted in 2008. What do you think?

Laird has previously confirmed that the initial discussions involved using “hybrid” ninja turtles:

As you may recall from some of my previous comments, our initial discussions regarding the next film had to do with what we were calling a “hybrid” — live action with realistic Turtles rendered in CGI and blended in. This new idea — which, frankly, I am VERY pumped about — will have actors and stunt performers in full Turtle suits for filming in live action. As of right now, there is talk of using CGI to do “face replacement” for the suits so that we can get those great, expressive faces possible with CGI.

The other ideas discussed was a “Batman Begins-style”, retelling the Turtles’ origin story. The film would probably include Shredder, April O’Neil and Casey Jones. In July they held an open casting call for Shredder’s Foot Soldiers/Foot Clan. Laird has said that they are planning to return to the roots of the original comic book series, so it will be interesting to see what direction they go in. The image above certainly fits that dark and real style.

The movie was initially announced for a 2011 release date.

WTH?

[toef]

Originally Posted by Q!

WTH?

Haha. Your thread searching skills are better than mine. I didn't notice this thread, so I posted the same info in some other TMNT thread.

I doubt the photo has anything to do with the movie.

Here's a bigger image that I posted there:

[Q?]

Originally Posted by toef

Haha. Your thread searching skills are better than mine. I didn't notice this thread, so I posted the same info in some other TMNT thread.

I doubt the photo has anything to do with the movie.

Here's a bigger image that I posted there:

just search under "advanced search" and choose "thread titles only". hope that helps.

Anyways, if it's not for the movie, what's it for then?
I'm actually hoping that this is the new look...

[toef]

Originally Posted by Q!

just search under "advanced search" and choose "thread titles only". hope that helps.

Anyways, if it's not for the movie, what's it for then?
I'm actually hoping that this is the new look...

Well from what I heard about the new movie, they were going to do something similar to Where The Wild Things Are... have actors in costumes, but add the faces digitally.

So if that's the case, there'd be no masks for the actors, and instead they'd have little balls put on their face, to track their facial expressions.

Maybe they'd digitally add stuff on top of the mask, but I don't know how well that would work. The mask also seems too small to have any sort of controls built in.

It may just be some random dedicated fan, who is also really good at making masks.

No idea.

[Q?]

Though their faces will be added digitally, effects crews always (I pressume) make molds or artwork so they know what they'd be dealing with.

Anyways I'm for the design if so, would mean a fresh new take.

[chad_1138]

As long as Corey Feldman is back to add his voice talents...

[Batman1980]

I wanna know who they cast as April O'Neil, hope she'll be as pretty as the last 3 girls who've done the role.

[Q?]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

I wanna know who they cast as April O'Neil, hope she'll be as pretty as the last 3 girls who've done the role.

Bryce Dallas Howard

[justinbaily]

Wasn't it only after they grind all meaning from a franchise that they re-boot?
Batman,spidy and fantastic four are prime examples but i thought TMNT did very well at the box office and on bd.

I really enjoyed the cgi turtle movie because only final fantasy had gone after the not cute for everyone look. I thought it did really well and expected a prompt sequel was left open for one+it continued the story from the live action
movies.

Live action's great but some things would just be better in cgi-avatar was almost all cgi with live action bits here n there but it couldn't be done without
cgi.

Halo,batman and animatrix were short stories but enless you're watching anime
like ghost in the shell good luck finding grown up animation so yeah ralph as a dark brooding biker was very cool and looked scarier than shrek,nemo or affairs made for the whole family.

I can't wait for shrek and toy story sequels but i also enjoy a good pg-13 - R animated movie cgi or not.