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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

UPDATED: Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles May Be Skinny Gun-toting Heroes In A Half-Shell

Update 2: Just to clarify, the artist who produced this illustration is the talented Nebezial and he's not affiliated with RainingCrow Designs or the film production. It's just really cool.

Update: I checked with the creators of this artwork (Rainingcrow Designs) and they confirmed this is NOT art for the film. It was produced for the concept art division. Still awesome though.
Michael Bay's live action reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) sounds like a major change according to alleged concept art.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" was a popular comic book during the ninja craze of the 1980s. Four turtles are exposed to radiation, become mutants and are taught martial arts by a mutant rat. The characters have been adapted into live-action and animated movies and a cartoon series.

A "very credible" source for Nerd Reactor saw some concept art and described it this way:
"Our source says that the turtles were far more realistic and had hard-packed abs in the front rather than the bottom side of the turtle shell. They were also far more skinnier than we have seen in the past.
One of the big noticeable differences in the turtles was that one of the them was holding a gun. The gun didn’t look like any specific model but it was a little futuristic, and the turtle even had a Bandolier wrapped around him."
Its no surprise. Michael Bay demands blazing gunfire and massive slow motion explosions in any movie he makes. He'd have a gun battle in "Pride and Predudice" if he could.

It's just sad that each adaptation of the comic book series seems to get farther and farther away from the source material.

Via Nerd Reactor
 
[Image Source Stjepan Sejic]

13 comments:

  1. what do you mean "It's just sad that each adaptation of the comic book series seems to get farther and farther away from the source material", they have used guns in the comics. Them being skinnier than in the comics, I'll give you that. But thats not automatically a bad thing, they're supposed to be teenagers afterall :P

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  2. Snotling ,you make a good point. I haven't read the comics in years, so my image of traditional ninja style weapons may be out-of-date.

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  3. in the real comics the TMNT are pretty dark. So i dont know where hes getting his ideas of source material.

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  4. The thing he's saying is they're NINJAS. Not gangsters, or street thugs. None of them ever sported guns, they always stuck to the traditional ninja items of choice. And it's true, the series has veered far away from the source material, it shouldn't even be considered TMNT anymore.

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  5. Its about time we had a new movie. Ive read the comics and paid to see the movies. Even the new one, although disappointing had undertones from the original series. And SO WHAT if they make them into a very intense version of the 80s Im still jacked and will pay to see just a shred of the original turtles.

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  6. Is this official?

    http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/055/c/6/live_tmnt_concept_by_rainingcrow-d3a7ag8.jpg

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  7. I took a look at that artists page. They clearly state that it's all fanart, but I dont know if I buy that. I checked the dates on alot of her supposed "fan art". It's too close to the final products to pretend she wasn't involved somehow. Especially that "justice league reboot". I wouldn't be surprised if theri tmnt concepts might have something to them.

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  8. Anonymous great find! It certainly looks like the real deal. l'll check some sources and se what I can find out.

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  9. Why doesn't he just take on making a final fantasy movie, a REAL one that focuses on the crazy battles and war that happens in the games instead of rebooting franchises which have seen their day. 

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  10. Or re-do Star Wars (and upset more fans) that is darker and without the funnies?

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  11. Hi, my name is RainingCrow. I was asked a while back if my artwork in any way was related to this project. I have chosen this forum to post my feelings about the recently announced decision to make the turtles alien in origin. I hope this isnt out of line or stepping on anyone's toes to put this here.

     I grew up with this series. It has been a part of literally my entire life. When I was young, these characters were literally how I learned socialization, morality and much more. I wasn’t exactly parented in the normal fashion. Splinter was a mentor to me as much as the turtles were brothers. I owned all but 13 of the toys made between 89 and 99.

    Naturally I have a strong loyalty to what I’ve always felt was at the core of these characters. As a child I enjoyed TAS. As a teen I grew fond of the comics with a greater devotion. As an adult I have respected the noir elements and independence of the first film, and found great nostalgia and fun in the 2003 series.

    My career as an artist is due large in part to my fascination with these guys. Every step in my life has been accompanied by a series first published in the same year as my birth.

    To see someone potentially disregard something I assume so many of us fans hold as dear as I, in order to line his pockets with popcorn money… effects me on a level that I am certain he could never imagine. Looking back as an adult, the show was bad enough compared to what I feel for them now. I fear the new release if following what Bay has stated, may destroy any and all shreds of respect I may have ever had in his production company.

    This isn’t a matter of bad casting, or poor effects. Potentially this is the death of a franchise not in popularity but in essence.

    I am fine with a slight bit of alien influence or responsibility for their creation (Utroms). I actually love that direction. It just expands everything into a larger universe with some nice scifi attributes, showing that ancient religions and modern science can co exist in harmony. (btw loved season 5 of 2003 tmnt)

    However to take 4 terrestrial creatures so closely associated with traditions of ancient terrestrial philosophy, skills, and training, even a physical association with Kappa… Characters defined by their uniqueness and isolation, the fact that they are the only in existence… and make them part of an alien race???

    Its like if someone were to take harry potter and make him a middle aged latino woman with 20 loving family members… It simply changes too much of the essence. It changes the very definition of what these stories are about.

    Not to mention, how does an alien race of turtles wind up with an alien rat that knows ninjitsu?

    Ive believed for a long time that these characters should be taken with a more serious approach yet still a light heart. Adding more adult themes of philosophy, violence, family, and balance within a modern world resonates with me… I think a combination of the original comics, and what was done with 2003′s series in conjunction with new effects and realism would be a great way to go. It is what I was hoping for.

    Now I will mention dawnoftheninja.com
    I love what these guys at this site have done. If this movie does kill it for me… they are my next and greatest hope. If I could today I would simply join their creative team and make a movie with them in place of what platinum dunes is allegedly planning. If I had the backing I would love to make one by my own vision, but there will be a long time passed before that possibility occurs (not counting it out).

    For now that is all I can say.

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  12. Raining Crow I can't agree with you more. Making them aliens flies in the face of the whole series.

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  13. as raining crow I to grew up learning from the turtles morals respect and honour , if he does this to the turtles I will never have respect for him ever again . he to me is a sell out and worse he disgraced the turtles and ruined it for future generations

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