Fans have been in uproar ever since the new NINJA TURTLES was announced, with Michael Bay onboard to seemingly ruin it by eliminating their mutant origin and turning them into aliens, turning it into a TRANSFORMERS with turtles. Co-creator of the TMNT, Kevin Eastman, got to talking about the upcoming film, and seeks to sooth our souls and pump us up. See if it works:
Eastman: ”This will be a great TMNT film…Much like many thirty year old concepts, the TMNT’s have been re-invented a number of times, some were stronger than others, but if you look at what Viacom/Nickelodeon has done/allowed to happen with the new TMNT animated TV series and the new IDW comic series, each has a slightly new and refreshed take on the ‘core concept,’ the new film with be the same, a film ‘well placed’ in the TMNT lore the fans will enjoy. If we learned nothing else from one of my favorite Comic Book Based Films, ‘The Avengers,’ that there’s a lot to be said about never forgetting that core concept and core fan-base.”
His thoughts on the script and its influences: “From what I’ve seen of the script, it’s fantastic. Michael Bay has made some great and intense movies. We’re talking about being inspired by movies like ‘The Avengers’ for scope and roots origin and ‘The Raid: Redemption’ for fight scenes and ‘Rise for the Apes’ as far as computer-quality style.”
What role will he have? “General creative consultant for the most part, which is cool as I get to wear a number of hats. From kicking the tires on a few plot threads with the awesome writers, Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, here and there, to banging out cool character doodles for director Liebesman, they bring me in regularly to show off the latest landscape, and to get my thoughts, and so far, I’m 1000% on board! I know it will be an awesome film, and the start of a killer new franchise for Viacom.”
The film is set for a May 16th, 2014, release and features the voice talents of Sean Astin (as Raphael), Jason Marsden (as Donatello), James Arnold Taylor (as Leonardo), Josh Keaton (as Michelangelo), and George Takei as Splinter. Jonathan Liebesman (WRATH OF THE TITANS, BATTLE: LOS ANGELES) directs from a script by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (both from ALIAS, LIFE ON MARS).
