After stating that the new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will have the turtles from an alien race, it seems that mega-producer Michael Bay doesn’t mind tainting several people’s childhood memories. BleedingCool have just reported new rumors about the TMNT reboot that I’m sure will start another uproar.
The film, directed by Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath of the Titans, Battle L.A.), could be taking the very simple title of Ninja Turtles. Why you ask? It’s because there could be a chance that the turtles won’t even be teenagers in the film. One of the only reasons I can think for the change, is so they can appeal to the older generation who grew up watching the series many years ago.
Here’s another explanation for the change, via Bleeding Cool:
We haven’t been able to get a definite statement as to why this title change is occurring, and our sources are not 100% clear on whether or not the Turtles will indeed be adolescents. One of our sources has said: “It seems to be driven by marketing. Think of John Carter and how Disney wouldn’t allow for a title with either “Princess” or “Mars.”
Although I’d like to pin all the blame onto Bay, that just can’t happen. We’ve gotten reports that his team at Platinum Dunes are working very closely with the original TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird on the reboot, so the chances of them ruining the original characters or story just isn’t plausible. Even though this information could end up being totally false, it has been a good way for people to become familiar with the project, if they don’t already know about it.
I can’t say I’m Bay‘s #1 fan, but he does involve himself in extremely popular movies and it also doesn’t hurt that Paramount has hired Mission: Impossible 4 – Ghost Protocol writers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec to pen the screenplay. I’m sure once production gets going, actors are set and snapshots of the film are released, people will forget all about these rumors and come to terms with, or even get excited for, the reboot, which hits theaters Christmas Day 2013.