‘NINJA TURTLES’ Will Be Hitting The NYC Streets To Begin Filming This April
It was announced quite a while ago that Jonathan Liebesman‘s Ninja Turtles was scheduled to be released on May 16, 2014. As rumors circulated of multiple script re-writes, fan disapproval, troubles with the visual effects, and studio clashes, I had little faith in seeing the mutated turtles on the big-screen next year. Wait a second . . . they aren’t even mutant turtles anymore, right? Doesn’t Michael Bay want to make them an alien race and that’s why they dropped the “Teenage Mutant” part from the original title? Well . . . whatever “version” of the script that the filmmakers have settled on, it seems that they are moving forward after all and at rapid speed. In order to meet next year’s release date, the film will begin shooting this April in New York City. It is crazy to think that in a little over a year I will be seeing a new Turtles film in theaters! Fans of the 90’s live-action movies will soon have to come to terms that we won’t be seeing the turtles fight in animatronic heads and rubber suits, but instead, through the use of motion capture technology. This will certainly come in handy for the mobility and stunt -work of the fight scenes since the studio was apparently inspired by the fighting in The Raid: Redemption for this upcoming movie. My apprehension for the project stems from the leaked script that circulated around the net last summer. I only hope that the writers and producers may take note of the FANTASTIC animated series that is currently airing on Nickelodeon. That version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, more than anything recently, captures a smart balance of action and comedy that stays true to the characters and never seems too “kid-friendly” for the long time fans.
The last official statement that has been made about the project before the production was halted last June was when Michael Bay released this to appease angry fans last March.
“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.”
I hope for the best but expect the worst. BTW- This has nothing to do with Liebesman as a director – in fact I think I’m one of the only people on this planet that actually like Wrath of the Titans, Battle Los Angeles, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Here’s hoping he can pull this mess of a film together in time for next May’s release.
Michael Haffner
Somewhere between growing up on a steady diet of Saturday morning trips to the local comic-book shop, collecting an unhealthy amount of action figures, and frequent viewings of Ray Harryhausen and Hammer Horror films, came forth a nerdy boy that was torn between journalism and the arts. In high school, Michael found himself writing a movie column for the school newspaper. Yet, he went on to get a BFA in Studio Art at Webster University. When not writing about films, you can still find him discussing classic horror, collecting action figures, and reading Batman. Clearly, not much has changed.
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