The Foot Walks Again script

[oldmanwinters]

Seems likely to me Eastman would have used whatever influence he had to make this a platform for Julie Strain to be a feature lead actress and action star, especially with her playing ninja April and Miss D. This really does feel like an April O’Neil movie with lots of costumes, special effects, and animatronics. I imagine this would have cost at least $50 million to make in 1995 (Secret of the Ooze was reportedly $25 million), but if they wanted to shoehorn in some cgi visual effects, the budget could have really ballooned. I count 6 “mutant” characters that all have morphed forms, so maybe 12 animatronic costumes that have to “fight” and 5 more actors in high-tech costumes/makeup that also fight, plus whatever toys and costumes April gets to use. The actress for April/Miss D would have to dedicate an insane amount of time to this film, being in both the hero and villain plot threads plus all the fights plus “acting” in the dramatic moments. That’s like 4am makeup reports everyday and fight choreography and retake after retake.

The thought occurs to me that the subtitle “Foot Walks Again” probably doesn’t apply until the later drafts by Craig Shapiro and John Travis came in. Really surprised he 1995 script cut out Eastman’s “Kasey” completely.

[BornAgain]

It’s insane to imagine what type of cinema magic we could have had if Steve Baron stuck around for a trilogy. With enough success, I’d have loved to seen his take on the “turtles in space” arc or an eventual City at War. In fact, that cements it - Steve Baron’s City at War is now my dream film.

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Let April be the kind of character she is, which is a crucially important supporting character who doesn't need to become the ass kicker. If they want to add a female ass kicker, then add Alopex or someone else to a film. You are allowed to have more than one girl present (excluding the villain), believe it or not.

This is a script from mid-90s, when Alopex wasn't even a spark in neurons of people who came up with this character.

[Drose18]

Eastman's signature being on the scan is the cherry on top of this finally coming to light.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Sumac

This is a script from mid-90s, when Alopex wasn't even a spark in neurons of people who came up with this character.

Good point... (Not sleeping good enough this week to keep my timelines straight. lol) Well, someone like that, or her if the script had been picked up again and made today (god forbid).


It sounds like there's some interesting ideas in there, but definitely would need work.

[d_osborn]

You're welcome!

[Aaronardo]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Film makers will do anything to slip in an unnecessary nude scene... but in a TMNT movie? Trying to hit a "mature" rating doesn't need to check off the whole list.

Especially strange as the script still feels weirdly juvenile. Not much of a step up from TMNT 3's dialogue, if at all. I imagine Power Rangers sets/costumes reading this thing (and I must not have been the only one).

Between weirdly gratuitous stuff like that and the sort of played-straight body horror with the double-mutation concept, it seems they never hammered down who this movie was supposed to appeal to.

Still super cool that we have this draft!

Originally Posted by d_osborn

You're welcome!

You're the realest!!

[Chaotix12345]

The thing that surprised me the most about this while reading it was learning that the Kirby stuff and the secondary mutations existed in the same script at one point. Like, EITHER of those concepts would've been a solid hook for a sequel, but you went for BOTH?

Was a really fun read. Certainly would've made for a crazy-ass film if it made it to production. Mikey constantly morphing for battle made me laugh, though. Your power is a human disguise. What combat advantage does that give you, exactly? It's like a reversed version of when they turned him human in the FW show and his ninja skills became useless for some reason. I DO wish they'd revisit the secondary mutations in a future iteration, though, as I've always found the idea interesting and FW's take on it didn't quite scratch that itch. (Since they essentially pared it down to a Hulk thing with less emphasis on the individual powers.)

[Drose18]

IMO The Last Ronin had the best story usage of secondary mutations.

Second place goes to 2k3 when Don got the mutant bug bite.

[The Turtle Terminator]

Watching this with 1995 Power Rangers movie CGI really would’ve been the cherry on the top. No longer will I ever complain on the decline of animatronics between SOTO and TMNT III.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Chaotix12345

The thing that surprised me the most about this while reading it was learning that the Kirby stuff and the secondary mutations existed in the same script at one point. Like, EITHER of those concepts would've been a solid hook for a sequel

I don't think either of those were any kind of hook whatsoever, whether together or individually. It's really pretty shocking that anyone involved thought a script like this would get back to the greatness that everybody loved about the first movie. Like, on any level.

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I don't think either of those were any kind of hook whatsoever, whether together or individually. It's really pretty shocking that anyone involved thought a script like this would get back to the greatness that everybody loved about the first movie. Like, on any level.

Yep, its like its trying to be a completely opposite of everything which made first movie a success.

Was the first movie good, because, of its grounded gritty setting and a poignant well-executed story and character moments?
Well, now we have SECONDARY MUTATIONS, aliens from ANOTHER DIMENSION!! NUDITY!! GORE(?)!!

It feels like either desperation or writers were high on their farts.

[RaphaelinSTL]

Wow. What a bizarre script, lol.

There's no way they would've been able to pull any of this off with the puppetry of the team from TMNT III.