New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Live Action Movie

You know, when something is a success and you want to repeat it, you have to look at what worked and keep that the same. Which is why I find this announcement a little strange. The really successful animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie last year has made them want to do another. But this time it is live action!

“Following the success of the ‘TMNT’ theatrical release in 2007, Mirage licensing and Imagi studios have begun work on a new live-action TMNT film for 2010. It’s the turtles like you’ve never seen them before! Shellalicious!”

I think this is the wrong way to go.

Someone needs to sit these guys down in front of the first three live action Turtle Movies. Sure, they were great for the time, but they are seriously hokey. Just because it worked back then, doesn’t mean it will now.

I loved the new Turtles movie. And CG was certainly the best way to go with it. The visuals were amazing and even the styling suited them. They still had a bit of gritty edge but still shiny enough to capture the kiddie audience. I was really hoping they would have made a sequel to THAT film.

But I found it very strange that he says it’s the turtles like you’ve never seen them before and then says “Shellalicious”?? I didn’t mind the shell puns in the original live action movie, but seriously man, a grown adult should never be caught saying “Shellalicious”. We make fun of Fergy for trying that shit but forgive her because she’s got the humps.

Maybe they will make it all live action but CG the Turtles? Tech has come a long way and they could make some awesome things look so real.

That is the ONLY way I can see this working.

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42 thoughts on “New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Live Action Movie

  1. I think that they should go with the new action film because the animated one sucked so much. i grew up on the old one so keep it real prople no animated shit

  2. I was just remember the horrilbe outcome of the live action tv show that was made…anyone remember that? Some how there was a blue girl turtle, that show sucked it was a sad time in the turtles history

  3. Live action is the best way to go and maybe even a little darker like the original comic books. With the technology that we have today we can have it still be real people not CGI in real world. I think it would be brilliant and I would be there midnight for the opening

  4. I’m a 24 year old chick and I love every one of the TMNT movies… Secret of the Ooze being my favourite. With today’s technology, I have no doubt that they could make this one successful. I’m sure it could work… I am soooo excited. A lot of people that loved the movies in the 90’s I’m sure would go see this one. Yep, I’ll be there opening day.

  5. Movie 3 was my favorite because they go back in Japan, and Im a big Japanese anime fan as well as the TMNT, but I didnt like the way the guys looked they were too skinny looking, I like the way they look more in TMNT movie 2, but I hated Donatello’s Voice Corey that Plaid Mouth in the Gounies does Donatellos voice better.

  6. I think a new live-action TMNT would be great if it were done in a style like the recent Marvel movies. Keep real actors until a fight scene, like they do in Spider-man. They used Toby Maguire in all the normal scenes, including some fight-scenes, but for the most part animation was used for him in big fights or moving through the city by web-swinging.

  7. well i loved the original movies i grew up wit the turtles, i can honestly say im very much looking forward to a new live action movie! i tend to agree that the surfer talk could b lost as its very dated now!! but all in all i think they could make a really good new film outta this franchise! ive watched the CGI film quite a few times now and as it’s based on the new cartoon can’t really say i enjopy it as much as the originals…. still however an impressive bit of CGI work….
    bring on the live action film
    long live the turtles!!!

  8. The first live action TMNT movie was awesome, very well done, and it actually had good drama for whatever that’s worth. The second one was a little hokey yes but actually it still had it’s good moments and built upon everything from the first movie – hell Tokka and Razar became legitimate known villains after that movie, and I agree with the above user that Super Shredder was really awesome looking (even if we didn’t get enough of a fight scene). The third movie just blew all kinds of crap, the worst possible third movie choice they could have made. I’m actually excited about the prospect of finally getting more of the old school villains in a GOOD live action film (e.g. Baxter Stockman, Beebop and Rocksteady, Krang, Leatherhead, any of the old school enemies). Hopefully they look to the first two to make this one.

  9. it aggravated me to know that there was an animated movie in production 2 years ago and it now aggravates me to know that kids today have to watch this junk. I too like most of you love and miss the old live actions movies. Seriously get Christopher Nolan on the project and we would have an amazing live action turtle movie. actually I’m gonna make that a demand. Lets all boycott imagi. . . they’ve ruined all of our lives. . .

  10. and to mattiac I am now 21 and was born in the same year TMNT aired and I’ve been a fan all my life. And I agree, a darker version, real life, with slash would be amazing! Slash was always one of those characters that if brought to life correctly, could scare the crap out of any kid. I just don’t think that even though the dark scene in TMNT was well done, it still wasn’t totally felt by myself as “genuine”

  11. For once Doug I’d have to disagree. the essence of the Turtles I felt could not be captured in the animated film. I mean yea, you could do a lot cooler things but the Turtles, well frankly, didn’t look like the Turtles. At least in the 80’s show (which is corny to all hell but awesome) they turtles weren’t like stick figures. Also, they need to change splinter’s voice…. anywho….

    Getting to the point. the live action films I felt really captured the dark part of the turtles (the 1st one the most) which of course was supposed to be the idea in the first place. The comic was originally intended for adults and just happen to be turned into a kids show with much more success. But come on, with real actors you can get so much more feeling and drama. Yea the action sequences are much cornier again I’ll admit, but I always felt if they did another TMNT, do it live action and to a more adult crowd. I think they could pull it off

  12. @Rodney, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is owned 100% by Mirage and Peter Laird (he recently bought out Kevin Eastman’s share) not a toy company.

    And the first movie was mostly made up of several different plotlines from the from the first vol of TMNT, but did include elements of the cartoon, especially in the beginning, which was natural considering how popular the cartoon was at the time.

    The reason why Warners is looking at live action (given a recent interview with Peter Laird it looks like they’re going for a hybrid movie, real actors with CGI Turtles and Splinter), is that Imagi who was able produce a CGI movie for only 35 million, isn’t up to producing a sequel anytime soon, given all the problems they’re having with Gatchaman and Astroboy. And since a good CGI movie can cost from 80 to 150 million dollars and take 3-4 years to produce ,a live action movie may now be the cheapest and quickest route for a TMNT sequel.

    @Cheese, if your refering to current cartoon, there were more then just 3-4 episodes adapted from the comics, in fact I don’t know if there has been animated show based on a comicbook that has adapted so many stories from the source material (with as few concessions). And the Screenplay for the CGI TMNT was co-written by director Kevin Monroe and Peter Laird, but the final cut of the movie was heavyly edited, TMNT was originally over 2 hours long but ended up being under 80 minutes.

  13. Oh, I agree with what Cheese said. I want a dark movie. The new CGI-movie was pretty dark. :) Especially when Ralph decided to attack Leo on the rooftop. I want them to use turtle suits in this movie instead of CGI. Or maybe ILM can pull it off??

  14. Hallelujah! :D Or maybe I should wait until I’ve seen the movie. The third movie was almost bad but the first one was fantastic and the second one was really good. I hope that this movie will be fantastic! I also hope that Splinter (if he’s in the movie) will have the same voice as in the first movie and not in the third movie where he has a bad voice. I thought that the animated movie was better than the third movie but not as good as movie 1 and 2. I actually have a idea for a fourth movie. Well, it’s based on Krang a little bit and involves Slash. Oh, if anyone wants to know how old I am: I’m 27 (soon 28) years old and I have loved the Turtles since I was around 9 years old.

  15. @Cheese, clearly you have not read the original graphic novels. The live action Turtles movie was based entirely on the animated series which took all the gritty adult themes and extreme violence and candy coated it into slapstick surfer talking hip kid turtles.

    The graphic novel was brutally violent, they all wore red (though only indicated on the colour covers) and they did not say “dude” or eat Pizza.

    Eastman and Laird will not have any control over this as the toy company now owns the rights to the turtles completely.

    Furthermore, they will never take a successful kids franchise and exclude the demographic just to please a very small minority that recalls the original comic from 20 years ago.

  16. The reason the old live action turtles worked was because it was closely based on the original graphic novels created by Eastman and Laird. The sequels as well as the new CGI are so far from where the creators had in mind its not even the same monster anymore. The TV cartoon is freaking ridiculous, base the first 3 or 4 episodes on the old graphic novels and then pull a 180 and make this stuck in the future?? gimme a break, the only way this movie has a chance in hell is if they let Eastman and Laird have complete creative control and to let them write the screenplay. Otherwise this is going to just add to the pathetic sequel resurrection that seems to be so popular the last few years…….sigh

  17. I was stoked to find out about this, then it got squashed almost right away. The technodromeforums got to the truth pretty quick. Hopefully a new movie gets made soon.

  18. I think maybe they were testing the market for the turtles when they made the animated flick, as it probably wouldn’t have costed as much as a live action film they managed to see if there was an audience that would still watch these guys. Apparently there is so now they’re going to go ahead with another live action. Could be a bad move though. That style just seemed to fit the time it was made in, not sure how it would convert compared to all these CGI flicks.

  19. Yea, this was reported false by Stephen Murphy who is the TMNT liscenser.

    But yea I loved the CGi TMNT movie but the first movie from 1990 is still the best one (and extremly true to the original Mirage comics).

  20. False alarm folks. Playmates Toys was the source who made that statement and now has retracted it with a completely different tune, saying “is in negotiation with several companies about a new TMNT for release in 2010.” It seems they were jumping the gun on hyping the TMNT train.

  21. I loved the first 1989 turtles film. It rocked my youth and to me still rocks to this day. Now I have to say that they need to stay CGI and for fucks sake bring back shredder.

  22. First of all, let’s get one thing out of the way right freaking now. The first Turtles live action flick was in 1990. Get this 80’s stuff outta my face, int’l friends. Thank you.

    Moving on.

    It would be one thing if the merch from the cartoon from the 80’s never happened. But it did, and as a result, these characters are tainted with “for small kids” when the B/w comics origins have mountains of bloodshed. It is the compromise that has haunted the Turtles franchise since it happened.

    For the time, the 1990 film was kind of fun, the sequel wasn’t but aimed more towards lovers of the kiddie cartoon- and the third film in that series had a great idea (time travel back to early Japan) but didn’t pull it together because of the kid friendly merch AND the previous film.

    For the recent CGI animated film had some faults, I truly agree with Rodney that it was a step in the right direction. Will we ever get the Turtles back to the comics roots? Unlikely. Because the only reason for a live action Turtles film (and, given the story for TMNT, is it TMNT 5 now?TMNT didn’t really retcon the previous LA films) is to be harder edge and make all the young children cry as the new film showcases mountains of bloodshed…

    Yep.
    Never in our lifetimes.

  23. I loved the second Turtles movie even more then the first. Super Shredder was a bad ass.

    And the animated movie, while I didn’t like it as much as the live-action flicks, I still really enjoyed, and the animation was amazing. The fight between Leo and Ralph and the rooftop in the rain was phenomenal.

  24. the first TMNT was great. The 2nd one started to get more and more cheesy. Then the 3rd was just bad.

    I haven’t got a chance to see the new CGI movie. I heard it was just okay so I was never inclined to watch it inspite of being a huge turtles fan when I was a kid.

    The first film is the best tho and should be the standard to meet for future turtle movies.

  25. Yeah, obviously they aren’t going to use the exact same methods and technology as they did in the 80’s. There’s not even any word on if this will even be related to the original movie series, or the animated movie that came out a few years ago. It may just be a re-start on the whole thing, which seems to be the way to go these days.

    Either way, I love the Turtles, and I love the minds behind the turtles that keep slamming out top knotch movies and Tv shows and comics of them, so I’m all for it. The only Turtles-related thing I didn’t like so much was the third movie, and evee that had some good moments.

  26. It needs to be CG at this point. TMNT was the beginning of a new franchise, and even though the original movies hold a special place in my childhood, the new one actually got it right. I don’t want to see actors in awkward rubber costumes anymore. You won’t be able to get any of them to perform the same stunts the new turtles did. Instead, they’ll revert back to the age of prop comedy to compensate.

  27. The tech to make the guys in suits look better is far beyond what brought the amazing turtles to life in the 90’s.

    Now if they use that and stick more to the comic storylines, I could definitely see this working.

  28. I own all three of these on DVD. They are good for their time, but watching them now, the “cool” surfer lingo is forced and so hokey.

    If those were released now, they would be a mockery. They don’t hold up, but you are right . Pretty freaking good. But freaking good for 1997.

  29. The live action ones from the 90’s were pretty freaking good – they were really good costumes, jeeze, have any of you guys seen the original live action ones?

  30. nooooooo okay i KNEW there would be a sequel to this because of the ending of the first one and i completely LOVED the first one but what iu loved about it is that it was a computer generated movie and AT THE SAME TIME it was an awsome action/comedy movie

    i mean- this was the BEST CG almost cartoonish action movie EVER. i cant think of any other CG pixar looking movie that delivered such good action. and it was pretty funny

    why do they want to make it live action? thats just lame. i was really looking forward to this…hope this is only a rumor

  31. I completely disagree this is the right way to go.
    Yes Turtles 3 was horrible.
    But the the original TMNT movie was awesome. It was a great movie and I still think to this day that the Turtles looked amazing.
    If they could make them look that great back then i can only imagine what they could do now.
    I didn’t like the new TMNT movie because it wasn’t live action. I grew up on the old Turtles.

    I’m happy as hell their doing this live action. I hope they make this one dark and more grown up themed for the people who were kids back.then.

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