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Tag: kevin-eastman

  • Paramount Plans New Live-Action ‘Ninja Turtles’ Movie

    'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (2014). Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (2014). Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Preview:

    • Paramount wants to make a new, live-action ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ movie.
    • Neal H. Moritz will produce.
    • A plan for an R-rated ‘Turtles’ movie is on hold for now.

    Paramount giveth (probably) and Paramount taketh away.

    The studio is making moves for one of its popular franchise, the comic-book-birthed ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ much as it recently did with ‘Star Trek.’

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, prolific producer Neal H. Moritz (who has the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise and Paramount’s own ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ movies on his extensive resume making a deal to oversee a new, family-friendly live-action ‘TMNT’ movie, which will exist separately from the sequel to animated delight ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,’ which is in production via producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

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    It does, however, mean that forward development on a darker, grittier Turtles outing, ‘The Last Ronin,’ a live-action/CG animation hybrid project that was in development as an R-rated feature, and had ‘Nobody’ filmmaker Ilya Naishuller in talks to direct, is on indefinite pause.

    That one will have to dwell in a sewer for now. And the studio has also cancelled future episodes of animated series ‘Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ an animated small-screen spin-off from ‘Mutant Mayhem.’

    Related Article: Every ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Movie Ranked

    What is the history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

    'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (1990). Photo: New Line.
    ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (1990). Photo: New Line.

    The main mutant foursome –– Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo –– first burst onto the pop cultural scene via Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s 1984 comic book, launched as a satire of other titles at the time.

    That first run was a huge hit, and has since spawned a vast media empire encompassing several animated TV series, a number of movies and enough merchandise to clog New York’s sewers.

    Leo and co. famously hit the big screen back in 1990 in a New Line movie that used Jim Henson’s creature shop to bring the title characters to life. That generated two others, but Paramount took its own shot at “live-action” Turtles with two movies using performance-captured characters, 2014’s ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ and 2016’s ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,’ the latter of which was a flop.

    ‘Mutant Mayhem’ was received much more kindly and did healthy business, but now the aim is for Moritz to bring a similar all-ages feel as he has to ‘Sonic.’

    When will the new ‘TMNT’ movie be on screens?

    'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (2014). Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (2014). Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    With zero creative talent attached yet, it’s much too early to speculate; but you know Paramount –– which owns the Turtles outright as opposed to sharing as with ‘Transformers’ –– will want to get something to theaters as soon as possible.

    The yet-to-be-titled ‘Mutant Mayhem’ sequel, which sees the return of director Jeff Rowe, is scheduled for release in September 2027.

    (L to R) Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo in Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies in a Point Grey Production 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.'
    (L to R) Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo in Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies in a Point Grey Production ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.’

    Selected ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Movies

    Buy ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Movies & TV on Amazon

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  • New ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Movie is ‘Mutant Mayhem’

    'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.'
    Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies Present ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.’

    If you ask a large group of people who Leonardo, Raphael Donatello and Michelangelo are, some will start going on about renaissance artists whose work still resonates today, exploring the world of blah blah blah whatever.

    But tubular, rad dudes and dudettes will instantly start either singing the theme tune to the 1980s cartoon series or breaking into Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ninja Rap’, because they’re all about that Turtle life.

    Yes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are heading back into cinemas next year with a new animated movie that has just announced its formal title – ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ – and a release date: August 4th, 2023.

    That’s right, the turtle do-gooders will next show up in theaters a year from now.

    Not much else was revealed about the movie, beyond the fact that ‘The Mitchells vs the Machines’ co-director Jeff Rowe stepping up to be the main director here, working alongside Kyler Spears, whose credits include ‘Mitchells’ and ‘Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe’.

    Lindsey Beer, who has been at work on the ‘Pet Sematary’ prequel movie, wrote a least one draft of the script, but the current version is by ‘Neighbors’ Brendan O’Brien.

    Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are two of the producers, working on the movie via their Point Grey Pictures company. Though we wouldn’t expect this to have the same adult humor level as, say, ‘Sausage Party’ or ‘The Boys’. This will be family-friendly, though given all involved, it should still have something of an edge.

    And it’ll need it, since this is just the latest adaptation of the comic book characters originated by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird way back in 1984.

    'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' exclusive NYC mural.
    ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ exclusive NYC mural.

    The Turtles, to give those who never followed their adventures, were a group of infant reptiles who are exposed to a mutagenic compound which turns them into sentient creatures. Trained by talking rat ninja master Splinter, they become warriors for good, fighting evildoers including ninja master Shredder.

    Eastman and Laird originally wrote their comic as a parody of characters such as Daredevil, the X-Men and Spider-Man, but the concept took off and the Turtles have been plastered over enough merchandise to fill several warehouses.

    Their characters have also been adapted to a level that most can only dream of; there have been a slew of video games, TV series and movies, some live action, some animated.

    In the original animated series, the characters got their now iconic different colored masks to help tell them apart (previously, you had to hear them say each-others’ names or learn to recognize their different weapons).

    Theatrically, they’re probably best known to two different generations of moviegoers, those who grew up watching the 1990s films with Jim Henson Company practical suits and effects or the performance-capture CG likes of the 2014 reboot and its 2016 sequel.

    Most recently, the Turtles were both on TV and in theaters in ‘Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.’

    Paramount, which is backing ‘Mutant Mayhem’ will be pinning its hopes on the Turtle faithful coming out of their shells for the new movie. We’ll keep you updated as voice casting choices and other news is announced.

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