Ninja Turtles from Space?
Image via milehighcomics.com
Last week I read that the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles flick from Platinum Dunes was announced for a Christmas Day, 2013 release. Pretty cool, right? Nothing much to discuss, really.
But this week I’ve learned that everyone’s favourite Heroes in a Half-Shell will feature a very non-traditional origin in the film. The truth of the matter is, producer Michael Bay has planted the seeds of doubt as to the warrior reptiles’ mutant heritage, suggesting that the turtles may not be mutants at all.
Over at Stuff We Like there’s a video from last week’s Nickelodeon Upfront in New York of Bay speaking where he states:
When you see this movie, kids are going to believe, one day, that these turtles actually do exist when we are done with this movie. These turtles are from an alien race and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely lovable.
Whaaaaaaa…?!!
My first knee-jerk reaction seems to echo in the comic-book nerd corner of the universe with many a TMNT fan voicing their outrage. Everything from polite indignation to violent and expletitive outbursts with supporters seemingly few and far between.
Image via milehighcomics.com
My thoughts are that, hopefully, Bay is making some kind of in-joke about Transformers, a little razzle-dazzle-watch-this-hand-while-I-do-something-tricky-with-that-hand style misdirection. But for the guy who was called The Turtle Boy back in school (due to my almost infinite knowledge of all things Ninja Turtle) I fear the worst.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be directed by Jonathan Liebesman and features a script from Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, John Fusco, Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec.
I find it hard to believe that the best the writers who brought us Iron Man, Young Guns, and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (Well maybe the M:i-4 guys) can come up with is turtles in space. So I’m hoping the announcement is some kind of prank.
The Ninja Turtles, which began as a black and white comic book series in 1984, captured the general public’s imagination in 1987 when it became an animated series. The comic spawned its first live-action film in 1990, with parts two and three not far behind, a live-action television series, a second and third animated series, and a CGI feature film.
And between all the time-travel, space travel, and defending the earth from inter-dimensional monsters, the origin of the turtles has never been disputed (despite the similarities to Daredevil’s origin).
I remember listening to the Bagged & Boarded podcast where Kevin Eastman (co-creator of the Ninja Turtles) stated that he’s had creative control of every incarnation we’ve seen yet. So would he be on board for a complete revamp of the origin of his crutters? I find that hard to believe.
But now I guess it’s just a matter of time before we know what’s really going to happen.
