Kevin Eastman Says Michael Bay Has Been Respectful With TMNT
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With the Michael Bay-produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles currently in production in New York City, TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman took the opportunity to address the fans’ concerns about the reboot film. One of the most controversial movies among fans, TMNT has seen its share of highs and lows since commencing development last year. TMNT fans are concerned that Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production team are not taking the original source material as seriously as they should. Eastman says they shouldn’t be worried.
While at this year’s Phoenix Comicon in Arizona last weekend, Kevin Eastman said that the Turtles reboot will be something TMNT fans will love. Eastman continued to describe how Michael Bay and director Jonathan Liebesman are handling the TMNT mythology in the new film:
He’s (Michael Bay) been nothing but amazingly respectful, and Jonathan Liebesman’s been the director… I’ve seen the script. I’ve seen the design of the characters. It’s fantastic. The story has all the right turtle-isms. They’re in the sewers. I’m very excited to see the movie.
When asked about the film’s action, Eastman compared it to director Gareth Evan’s sophomore effort, The Raid: Redemption, which included fast-paced and precise fight choreography. The action in The Raid also borrowed from various Asian martial arts including Silat Melayu and Pencak Silat.
While it’s doubtful that the new TMNT reboot film will be anywhere near as good, Eastman says Paramount Pictures wants the new Turtles film to be like The Avengers, in terms of excitement and thrills. If the new TNMT can actually play like a mix between The Raid and The Avengers, then Kevin Eastman, Michael Bay, and Platinum Dunes will have a giant hit on their hands.
At the end of the Q&A, Kevin Eastman assured TMNT fans that the Turtles in the reboot are not aliens, as previously rumored, but rather their classic mutated selves. Of course, everyone at the convention panel applauded Eastman’s response.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will hit theaters everywhere on June 6, 2014. You can watch the Kevin Eastman Q&A from Phoenix Comicon below:
