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Old 10-21-2018, 04:15 PM   #1
Tarris Vaal
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Could the IDW series be successfully adapted to silver screen?

Much as the title asks...

There's often call for a more adult take on a ninja turtles series and it invariably always boils down to three options;

1: ) A series based heavily off the mirage comics - with the added implication that those who would want that would want it as animated.

2: ) A fresh iteration with a more dramatic and 'realistic/bloodier/consequential' take - Often what a lot of people who ask about 'adult aimed series' think of and often shot down.

3: ) Being told that if they want an slightly more mature themed iteration, they should go read IDW.


Now I'm not saying that any of these are wrong necessarily, but it poses an interesting question. Could IDW be successfully adapted if it were to be made almost directly into a TV series?

It does suffer from a few problems -

* the reincarnation plot point is somewhat convoluted and although it works in comic format, its a big question how much a TV audience could accept that.

* Its LONG. 87 issues + micros and with the presumed aim at getting to 100 issues. Even looking just at the Initial Kraang arc of 1-50 that is comfortably 3 seasons worth of TV episodes (presuming standard 40min runtimes). Its a lot of stuff to adapt and squeeze in.

* There are a few plot threads that go weird places and don't really add all that much - The Pantheon being the notable one here.


This all said, it is a strong contender for that golden grail of a more mature themed TV show.

What do you guys think? Could IDW be adapted well? Or would it be a better option to make a fresh iteration with TV in mind (probably taking heavy inspiration from IDW/Mirage)
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Old 10-21-2018, 04:29 PM   #2
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I could see something for a trilogy, but even that would be really tough to adapt since IDW plays the long game.


Now, I could see it for a TV/Netflix series and then having a "special event" theatrical movie (maybe on the Technodrome - Vengeance arch), but I don't think it would all work for one big movie.


Maybe a movie like that could squeeze in some scenes the comic could not. Maybe a scene of Krang in the stasis chamber for the last time (maybe dropping hints at Ch'rell and Ma'riell), or more scenes developing Donatello coping with being in the Metalhead body and the trauma of his attack.
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Old 10-21-2018, 04:34 PM   #3
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Kind of similar to a compressed MCU then?

A trilogy of movies dealing with the main plot threads and a netflix series of 'micros' dealing with the smaller satellite plot points?
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Old 10-21-2018, 05:11 PM   #4
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No, the IDW comics have 100+ different storylines in them and there's no way to condense them into a movie or a series of movies.
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Old 10-21-2018, 05:26 PM   #5
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No, the IDW comics have 100+ different storylines in them and there's no way to condense them into a movie or a series of movies.
What about a TV show? I agree, it would still be horrendously difficult to compress that much into a TV series, but I think it might be much more doable
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Old 10-22-2018, 10:32 AM   #6
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No, the IDW comics have 100+ different storylines in them and there's no way to condense them into a movie or a series of movies.
Not all storylines would be adopted, just the most popular and well-written.
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Old 10-26-2018, 03:10 PM   #7
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Probably better to do it as a TV series.
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Old 10-26-2018, 03:58 PM   #8
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Probably better to do it as a TV series.
Definately, also we're living in the age of television series (even if more and more of them are now over streaming services like Netflix).
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Old 10-27-2018, 11:19 AM   #9
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I can totally see it being adapted, its not really that ”confusing”, just very deconstructed which is common in comics today. Even shows/films which try to be faithful to the source material will change and condense things to make the plot flow better on screen. Anime does it all the time.

Anyway, I hope next time they do a live action film/show Nick goes a route similar to IDW...seriously merge the best parts of canon while giving the screenwriters some freedom to explore.
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Old 10-27-2018, 12:42 PM   #10
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Anyway, I hope next time they do a live action film/show Nick goes a route similar to IDW...seriously merge the best parts of canon while giving the screenwriters some freedom to explore.
Who should determine what the "best parts of canon" are? And why? And what canon?

I'm fairly against TMNT jambalaya. Because where does it end? If, say, cartoon or comic reboot #6 in 10 years is just recycling what the last 3 shows did, which in turn were recycling what the shows and comics before it did which also mixed together elements from other shows and comics before it... you're just getting the snake eating it's own tail, or the dog eating its own poop. It's creatively bankrupt.

Go full on adaptation of Mirage (or even Fred Wolf since that seems to be the modus operandi of forever, but just own it and don't pretend it's something that it's not) + a director's vision and flair, or try a completely original take on TMNT.

Last edited by Andrew NDB; 10-27-2018 at 12:48 PM.
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Old 10-27-2018, 05:07 PM   #11
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Assuming you went down a tv route then - and again assuming focus on adapting just the IDW series - would it be possible to do as Live action or would it require so much CGI as to make it impossible?
Given the amount of special effects involved, I suspect an animated series would work best, but I guess the question there becomes whether you'd get the audience you really wanted. Would Execs push for the younger demographic then?

On the other hand, if you made a live action version, would it be doable with a sensible tv budget? At least to a good degree of quality?


I guess an anime style route might work, but that itself begs the question - would it be best as a tv series or something more akin to animated movies (think DC) focused on each of the comics arcs?


Personally I think that would be the best option - take a leaf from DC's animated movie book and adapt IDW that way with less fear of having to censure it for younger audiences. Even if it was just straight to DVD I imagine it would do pretty well.

As much as I'd like to see live action turtles, i just think the cost would make it near impossible to look good over such a long term thing. Especially when you consider that several of the antagonists would need CGI as well.
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Old 10-27-2018, 07:32 PM   #12
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Who should determine what the "best parts of canon" are? And why? And what canon?

I'm fairly against TMNT jambalaya. Because where does it end? If, say, cartoon or comic reboot #6 in 10 years is just recycling what the last 3 shows did, which in turn were recycling what the shows and comics before it did which also mixed together elements from other shows and comics before it... you're just getting the snake eating it's own tail, or the dog eating its own poop. It's creatively bankrupt.
Fair points. Who decides? Well...the writers obviously...which in all fairness might not be to everyone's taste.

We know what bad TMNT jambalaya looks like *cough* the Bay films *cough* *cough*

I do feel that IDW has mastered the difficult art of making "turtle soup" with Waltz and Eastman. The secret seems to be to keep the "core" ideas and personality of the series alive (most of which are in the Mirage series) while seasoning with parts of the other canons.

IDW's Casey is a good example: he still has the whole "anti-hero" vibe about him and his still pretty complicated, and prone to violence, but there's definitely touches of the more down on his luck, likeable guy from the first film. They then folded in and re-rigged some of the 2003 canon (like Hun and Angel) and created a newer tragic backstory to give his behaviour a more believable origin - it rounded him out pretty well as a character.

In the end, all franchises evolve - the X-Men of a few years back is totally different from its 1975 incarnation or it's 1992 version. One thing is pretty clear though when the series wanders too far away from its core principles like during the Aaron/Bendis era the wheels come off in a bad way.

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Originally Posted by Andrew NDB View Post
Go full on adaptation of Mirage (or even Fred Wolf since that seems to be the modus operandi of forever, but just own it and don't pretend it's something that it's not) + a director's vision and flair, or try a completely original take on TMNT.
I could live with this - a proper R rated Mirage movie could be all kinds of awesome crazy, but I feel as time passes that's less likely. Older fans like us might have fond memories of the Mirage era, but can you convince a studio to make that film? Unfortunately, most people only know TMNT as a kids cartoon from the 80s. But yeah…the Wolf stuff - like the colour coding and the more pronounced personalities are here to stay.
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Old 10-28-2018, 03:08 AM   #13
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A lot of shows that have been favorites in the past are becoming Netflix or Showtime originals. Such as there is a new Sabrina the Teenage Witch series that is now Netflix only.

With Movie streaming being a thing, Movie theaters are slowly being phased out. But with Netflix or showtime they are able to use content that wouldn't make it into a made for TV series or theater production for moral or logistical reasons. Such as only so many F-Bombs and be dropped in a film before its considered too obsine. Or shots of certain body parts must be kept to a minimum even in a Rated R film.

The Reincarnation thing could work if it's explained better in a TV series vrs. The comic book.

For example, start the first episode with Hamato Yoshi and his sons being executed. I haven't read far into this, but I remember one issue Kraang took interest in the executed family so have that explained further or part of an involvement in their reincarnation.

Such as have Krang and his forces desecrate the graves of Yoshi and his sons so DNA samples were taken of each of them. Then centuries later when the Turtles and Splinter are experimented on, they are injected with a serum that contains the DNA samples of the Hamato Family. Due to the experiments performed on Splinter his consciousness as Hamato Yoshi awakens, while his sons awaken after their mutation. This mutation doesn't turn them into teenagers from the start, they start out as kids from the beginning, not babies, they are about three or four years old in human years when they mutate. Raph is lost early on and gets raise as an agent of the Foot Clan or as one of the Purple Dragons, or maybe Old Hob and his gang. That way they are impressionable, but at the same time can still feel a that they don't really belong.

As they grow all the Turtles would occasionally have visions or dreams of their lives as humans (human names included) this confuses all of them. They feel there is some connection to this family, but they don't understand what sort of connection it is given the time period they are from. Mikey brings up the idea of reincarnation, Donnie, of course, reacts to it by saying that is BS and that there is no scientific proof that reincarnation is possible. Leonardo's on the fence, with reincarnation being too dubious as a possibility, but yet that's the only explanation that makes sense. Leo also points out that the family had four children, and he remembered there being a fourth turtle but they were lost long ago.

In the meantime, Raph is having visions of his former human life and while he doesn't understand what the visions mean they do make him feel like he doesn't belong with whoever he is with. But being with that group is the only thing he knows so he doesn't know where he truly belongs. Then one day when they are in their teens Raph sees his brothers for the first time and he feels a connection to them. At first, he is an enemy to them but gradually the desire for familial connection is too strong so he ends up approaching the turtles not for a fight but to understand. The people he serves follow him and demand his loyalty by destroying the Turtles. Raph finds he can't do it and demands to know what made them the enemy, why couldn't the Turtles be allies to them. Splinter who is with the Turtles tells Raph to look into his heart and he will know where it truly lies. Raph searches his heart and realizes that Splinter and the Turtles are where he really belongs and says he's going to be with his real brothers from now on.
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Old 11-02-2018, 05:14 PM   #14
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Definately, also we're living in the age of television series (even if more and more of them are now over streaming services like Netflix).
Yeah I think there's enough IDW to adapt as a TV series.

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Who should determine what the "best parts of canon" are? And why? And what canon?
I agree. Best thing to do is take one iteration and adapt it, preferably for TV as you are not constricted by a running time.
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Old 11-02-2018, 05:17 PM   #15
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I could live with this - a proper R rated Mirage movie could be all kinds of awesome crazy
An R rated Mirage movie would be awesome but there's no reason it needs to be R. PG-13 pushed to the limit would be perfectly fine for a Mirage movie. The Bay movies were PG-13 and didn't even take advantage of that... and all TMNT movies before that were PG.
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Old 11-16-2018, 02:04 PM   #16
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I've always really wanted a straight-to-DVD mature TMNT film like DC does with it's features. The IDW Universe would be a great fir for this, I think.
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Old 11-18-2018, 04:04 AM   #17
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I could see something for a trilogy, but even that would be really tough to adapt since IDW plays the long game.
I was thinking the same thing, but if a talented enough person comes along they can adapt a bunch of key issues of the series into a movie sort of like how the 1990 film was written.

A lot of stuff would have to be cut away if it's a movie trilogy, but I could roughly see one version of it going like this:

- Part 1 can adapt Stuff from the first 12 issues up through the Turtles' first big fight with the Shredder

- Part 2 can adapt "City Fall"

- Part 3 can adapt "Northampton" and "Vengeance"

Of course, that's just one possibility that only focuses on the Foot. The 1990 film is an example of how a lot of all three of my films could be made into one film. That'd make more room for doing other stuff like "Krang War" or "Attack on Technodrome."

You could even go like the Thor movies did and go pretty serious-ish (for a Marvel film) for the first two and then finish it off with something colorful and fun like "Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything" as the TMNT equivalent of Thor Ragnarok.

There's so much story with everything IDW has put out there that a TMNT movie trilogy could be a lot of different things. Honestly, no matter what they do, I'd absolutely love to see Issue 37 get adapted. The cool plot twist while Shredder and Krang sit across from each other is super rad and one of my favorite parts of TMNT. Also, the Turtles' plan that Splinter wasn't let in on in Attack on Technodrome is something I'd love to see adapted as well.

So many possibilities! I couldn't handle being responsible for only doing three movies about all this stuff. I'd have to have an entire Marvel MCU worth of movies for me to tell everything that's done on in the first 50 issues of IDW.
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Old 11-18-2018, 08:37 AM   #18
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If not something for the silver screen then maybe a web series would be better. That way you can cover a lot of ground assuming it does well enough to have multiple seasons.
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Old 11-18-2018, 09:32 AM   #19
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It’s an interesting idea, but honestly, I think it would be best as a web series. If it’s a movie, there would likely be too much left out like most movie adaptations of anything, and a web series allows more room for budget and the possibility of failure (though I hope that doesn’t happen) than a cable-based program.
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Old 11-18-2018, 12:09 PM   #20
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It'd either be a mini-series or nothing at all.
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