TMNT 2011 Movie Gets A Writer

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TMNT25.com has released some details about the events they will be hosting at Comic-Con, coming up in San Diego in two weeks, and by doing so has inadvertently disclosed some information not previously announced (to my knowledge).

According to the TMNT25.com site, John Fusco will be writing the new movie, slated for release in 2011, and will be on a TMNT panel scheduled for Friday of the convention.

According to IMDB, Mr. Fusco's previous screenwriting credits include the Young Guns movies, The Babe, and Hidalgo. He is also writer of a novel, Paradise Salvage.

Unfortunately, I don't believe I've seen any of his credited films, so I really can't comment as to what this actually means for the upcoming TMNT film. It does seem that Mr. Fusco likes horses, though.

Ninja Pizza will be covering San Diego Comic-Con extensively leading up to, and during the show, so stay tuned for many more updates and details to come. Watch for information on TMNT-related programming and events coming up within the next few days.

More PanelToPanel.net Exclusive Book Plates

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PanelToPanel.net has revealed more of their exclusive book plates that will be included with upcoming TMNT releases purchased directly from PanelToPanel!

TMNT Collected Book Volume 1 (pictured left), which collects what basically amounts to the Eastman & Laird collection of TMNT work, will include a book plate illustrated by Peter Laird and signed by BOTH Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman (below left).







Next, Kevin Eastman's upcoming 25th anniversary TMNT collection of his favorite stories (below left) will feature a book plate illustrated and signed by Kevin Eastman (below right).













Be sure to get your orders in now for both of these fantastic books and exclusives (just click any of the covers or book plates to be taken to the corresponding order page)! If you've already ordered the TMNT Adventures "Future Tense" TPB, just shoot John at PanelToPanel an e-mail asking for all of your orders to be combined for discounted shipping.

"Future Tense" w/ Exclusive Book Plate Available for Pre-Order

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PanelToPanel.net has posted the "Future Tense" trade paperback for pre-order! While supplies last, all copies of "Future Tense" ordered from PanelToPanel.net will include an exclusive bookplate featuring brand new art by TMNT Adventures artist Chris Allan. This book contains some of my all-time favorite TMNT stories, so you definitely don't want to miss it!



From NinjaTurtles.com:

Mirage Studios' first trade paperback collection of Archie Comics' "TMNT Adventures," collecting 8 issues of the classic comic book series: #42-44 ("The Future Shark Trilogy") and #62-66 (the "Dreamland" 5-issue story arc). All issues feature the "future Turtles" and act as a lead-in to the upcoming all-new "Forever War" mini-series!

Here's a preview of the bookplate that will be included:

Free Comic Book Day!

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It's Free Comic Book Day! If you haven't already, head down to your local comic book shop, say "Hi!" and snag yourself some awesome (free) comics.

Of course, TMNT fans will want to be sure to pick up the special FCBD reprint of TMNT Vol. 1 #1 - Yes, the first-ever TMNT comic book, for free!

If you're in Rochester, New Hampshire, you can meet a slew of the Mirage gang at Jetpack Comics until 4pm. And if you're in Los Angeles you can meet Kevin Eastman at Golden Apple Comics.

A New "Turtles in Time" Game

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At last week's Galabunga events in NYC, the debut of the Turtles' Party Van also revealed that a "new" TMNT video game - not the already revealed "Smash-up" game for the Wii - was in development. New, yet a game all TMNT fans are familiar with: "Turtles in Time." Only now it's been updated using modern 3D graphics. Mega TMNT fan Jason Koza was at the event (in his Casey Jones costume!) and provides the following info and pics of the game.

• The game is set up and directly taken from TMNT Turtles in Time.
• Right now it's only going to be for Xbox Live, but they're working on bringing it to Wii (Virtual Console Wiiware?).
• It has the same music as the old game.
• Only the levels "Alleycat Blues" and "Skull and Crossbones" were playable.
• The only difference noticed was the bosses for the "Skull and Crossbones" are Tokka and Rahzar (unlike the original, which had Bebop and Rocksteady).
• For Alleycat Blues the boss is still Metalhead.
• The game is basically Turtles in Time with new graphics - Awesome!

Josh notes:

Actually, Tokka and Rahzar were the bosses on Skull & Crossbones in the ORIGINAL (Arcade) version. They were moved to the (added) Technodrome level for the home version, and replaced with Bebop & Rocksteady. This means the remake is probably based on the Arcade version, meaning no Technodrome level, no Rat King, etc.

SDCC Exclusive Figure: April O'Neil

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A "nifty nugget" of SDCC news comes to us tonight from Randy Falk at NECA via Peter Laird:

"I just wanted to send over an image of our SDCC exclusive for this summer. It will be a brand new April O' Neil figure that comes with a Battle Damaged Mouser and a Regular Mouser with a new head featuring an articulated jaw.

This is the first non Turtle figure in the NECA TMNT collection

This version of April will be available at San Diego Comic Con this July.

We are going to try to make arrangements to offer a small amount of figures online for those who can not attend SDCC."

So there ya go - April figure for Comic-Con! (Now where's my Foot Elite, hmm?!!)

Looking Back at TMNT 2007 to look forward to TMNT 2011

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Earlier today I spent some time considering all the different variables that are preventing me from jumping for joy over the new TMNT movie project. The list got quite long and long-winded, so I'm going to try to tackle the bigger ideas in a series of posts.

To start, I've pulled out a series of interviews published before the release of TMNT 2007 from my personal archives. The point of bringing these out is to illustrate how similar the attitude and direction was for TMNT 2007 compared to what (granted, very) little has been said so far of the new project. And in some cases, how the exact opposite of the ideas sold to us for the 2007 movie are now being moved forward.

You can download a PDF of these interviews here.

Before I go any further, I'd just like to make it clear that I really, truly love TMNT. Kevin Munroe gets the characters and I would have no problem were they ever entrusted to him again. I think he did a fantastic job working within all the limitations he was given. TMNT wasn't a bad movie, but it seemed to scratch the surface on what could have been a reallyreally great and more-successful movie.

But anywho, moving forward...


Comics used as the source
One of the big talking points for TMNT 2007 was that it was going back to the comic books for inpiration. Now, almost as if that's been completely forgotten, the new movie is going back to the comic books once again. And in TMNT 2007, where both the Turtles' origin and Shredder were left out of the picture because, "Been there, done that," now the new movie will be not just be revisiting both those points, but will seemingly be built upon them as a foundation.

How this can work
The TMNT, particularly in the last 10 years, have struggled emensely to escape the first 11 issues of the comic book. It seems that each adaptation isn't good enough so then we have to do it all again... it's become tiresome and boring. The comic books should be used as inspiration, but straight adaptation should be kept to a bare minimum. Change things up while maintaining all the elements that have kept fans around through thick and thin (A LOT of thin) for 25 years.


Live action vs. CGI
There were two key reasons for the 2007 movie to be done in CGI. The first, and apparently biggest factor, was cost. A live action film was predicted to cost at least three times as much as a CGI film. The second reason was to avoid the limitations presented by having guys in rubber suits do ninja moves. Makes sense, but now we have this new movie apparently ready to once again put live action guys in rubber suits.

How this can work
So long as all parties involved are willing to spend the money needed to make the rubber suits and CGI combine seamlessly to look believable and not cheesy, this could work out fantastically. But they have to be willing to spend the money. Up 'til now, the most expensive TMNT movie was 2007's at around $35 million. Before that was 1993's TMNT 3, at around $26 million (and we all know how that turned out).


The Batman Begins analogy
Batman Begins has become the ultimate point of comparison when it comes to reinventing an old franchise into something new, exciting, and extremely successful. Rightfully so? Perhaps, although I think it's become overused to the point of cliché. To what extent does the comparison exist with the TMNT? Well, not only was this instantly discussed when news of the new movie broke last week, but - wait for it - it was discussed with the 2007 movie as well.

Click the pic below to compare words from Animation Magazine in April 2007 to an MTV interview with Peter Laird released just today.


What is the point of all this? Well, just because all the creative minds have their hearts and intentions in the right place doesn't mean the project is going to come out and be embraced as they anticipated it would be. By the sounds of it, TMNT 2007 started out in the very much the same place that TMNT 2011 seems to be now.