Go ninja, go ninja, go!
When it was announced that the Michael Bay-producedTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot was going to be put on hold in order to work on the film just a bit longer, the internet rejoiced. Since the announcement of the restart, details have come out one by one that have caused many to become increasingly hostile towards the project. With a major change in store for the heroes’ backstory, fans are wondering just what will happen to their beloved franchise.
As to exactly why the film was delayed in the first place, Paramount has kept quiet among the reason that many have speculated about. Co-creator of the original source material Kevin Eastman has been hard at work with the development of the film, helping to mold the upcoming film into an adventure that audiences will hopefully love. Now, Eastman has opened up about the delay and just what he’s doing to bring the Turtles back to the big screen.
In an interview with CBR, Eastman spoke on the film by giving some words of encouragement:
“I’ve seen a chunk of it, and it’s going to be a great movie, despite what everybody thinks…Essentially they pushed it back for two reasons: One is the director, Jonathan Liebesman, wanted to make sure he could do the effects to the level he wants them at, and the fight scenes to the way they should be. Also, their release date is almost exactly on the 30th [TMNT] anniversary. May 5, 1984 is when the first Turtles comic came out. May 16, 2014, is almost exactly 30 years after. So basically it’s an anniversary movie now.”
As for exactly what he’s doing, “I’m actively involved,” he says. “Doing sketches, drawings and character designs, bouncing stuff around with the writers [Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec] talking with the director and the producers…What they’re doing with the movie is creating its own story, but it has to be true to the source material or we’ll get fucking murdered. To be blunt.”
Originally set for a release next Christmas, production was gearing up in Vancouver for a possible start later this year. As the film is now delayed, it’s unclear just when Paramount plans to kick off filming. No casting developments have been made and it’s been said the reason for Paramount’s delay is due to some major issues with the script. As of right now, Ninja Turtlesis the only summer tentpole the studio has set up for 2014 next to Michael Bay’s Transformers 4.
