It’s always kind of interesting to look back at the hits and misses of media history and try to figure out why some ideas became huge successes and others fizzled out. In some cases, it’s inexplicable what the public gloms onto. Many would consider this the case with the popular comic-turned-TV show-turned-action figure-turned-film franchise known as TMNT, or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When you stop to think about it, the premise of mutant turtles that live in the sewer, binge on pizza, are named after Renaissance artists, and practice martial arts under the tutelage of a similarly oversized rat with a flair for Zen catchphrases does stretch the limits of credulity. And yet, from humble beginnings as a self-published comic created by two guys noodling one night (Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird), this unlikely quartet of heroes has grown to a multi-million dollar franchise spanning three decades to date. And with the upcoming ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ reboot due out next year, the oversized reptiles famous for shouting “cowabunga” will return to delight a new generation of viewers. And here are just a few fun facts about the film to whet your appetite.
1. The origin story has changed. If you’ve been a fan of the TMNT franchise since its inception in the ’80s, you no doubt know that the turtles were once average. They only mutated after coming into contact with a substance called “the ooze” in the sewers of New York City. Where did the ooze come from? And why do the turtles talk like SoCal surfers? Nobody knows. Okay, the answer to the first question was answered in the second movie, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze’, which reveals that it was the result of a laboratory accident. But their Cali accents remain a mystery. As for the origin story of the upcoming reboot, it seems that the turtles come from an alien race and make their way to Earth by accident during an alien invasion.
2. The title keeps changing. It was assumed that the latest iteration of the turtles would be called ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’, until producer Michael Bay announced that the movie would be entitled ‘Ninja Turtles’ in deference to co-producer Paramount, which wanted to keep it simple. Of course, the uproar from the fan community may have had some impact, because following the outcry against the name change, the project has been renamed ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. As for what it will be at the time of release (slated for August 2014 at this time), we can’t be certain.
3. April is no longer a redhead. For most fans, fiery redhead April O’Neil, the reporter who befriends the turtles and keeps them supplied with pizza, is just as integral to the franchise as the eponymous adolescent reptiles. And yet, it doesn’t appear that Megan Fox will be dyeing her brunette tresses red in preparation for the role. Already disgruntled fans may revolt.
4. The Michael Bay/Jonathan Liebesman pairing could make for explosive results. Bay is best known for fiery action sequences featuring gratuitous pyrotechnics, while Liebesman’s credits include dark and gritty thrillers like ‘Darkness Falls’, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning’, ‘The Killing Room’, and ‘Wrath of the Titans’. So one is left to wonder what the TMNT reboot will look like. That it will be edgier than previous iterations is almost a given. But chances are good that they’ll rein it in if they want to go for the audience-friendly PG-13 rating.
5. Eastman is fully on board, Laird is a maybe. Followers of nearly any TMNT fan site can probably tell you that factions are divided where this movie is concerned, and even co-creators Eastman and Laird seem to be on different pages. Eastman, who has been working closely with Liebesman on the script, is 100% behind the project and reportedly called it “easily the best Turtle movie yet”. Laird, on the other hand, has expressed displeasure over the controversy surrounding the film, but cautioned fans to wait and see how it turns out.