Live-Action Hallmark Movie That Never Was?

[Matches Malone]

I know there was a live-action Hallmark made for TV movie in development in the early 2000's, but I don't know anything about it. Writers, directors, actors, plot, etc. Has any info been leaked about this at all? Eventually this got dropped and we got the '07 Imagi movie instead, but I'm still curious what was being pitched at the time.

[rufus]

I could be wrong but I believe Steve Barron(TMNT 1990) was to direct it.

[Donnie]

Yea, he was. So in the place of the best possible TMNT film we would have had since we got movie 1, we received a heeping pile of steamy 2007 TMNT..

[The Stryker]

I don't care who was set to direct, there's no way in hell that a Hallmark TV movie was going to be any good.

[TurtleTitan97]

I did a little digging around, and I found this article from 2001:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...pg=6485,435940

According to the article, this movie from Hallmark would be a two night, four hour program with a blend of CGI Turtles with live actors, and would be taking its tone from the Mirage comics, which Barron said would be a "Darker, more streetwise view of the characters".

[Kendamu]

Originally Posted by TurtleTitan97

I did a little digging around, and I found this article from 2001:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...pg=6485,435940

According to the article, this movie from Hallmark would be a two night, four hour program with a blend of CGI Turtles with live actors, and would be taking its tone from the Mirage comics, which Barron said would be a "Darker, more streetwise view of the characters".

Sounds like it would've been pretty cool at the time.

Originally Posted by Stryker

I don't care who was set to direct, there's no way in hell that a Hallmark TV movie was going to be any good.

On the other hand...

[The Stryker]

Know what's awesome? TV quality CGI. Know what's better? TV quality CGI in the year 2001.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Know what's awesome? TV quality CGI. Know what's better? TV quality CGI in the year 2001.

Yeah. My parents were really into Grimm, but I couldn't get past the horrible CG when the characters' faces morph.

[Leo656]

It might not have aged well if it had been made, but it still could have told a good story. I was looking forward to it. Dated special effects shouldn't be a deal-breaker, but I agree it probably would have looked really weird by like 2005 already.

Lois & Clark had a pretty crappy budget but there were some great episodes of that show anyway. The last season was awful because it was written by hacks who didn't care to follow the plots the first 3 seasons set up, not because you can tell the special effects were done on a Video Toaster. I think TMNT fans could have ignored the CGI if the plot was good.

[pannoni1]

I wonder if some of that experimental CGI done around that time was proposed for this project, since the CGI quality on that sample was very good for 2001. Also, a bit ironic since that steamy heapin pile of 2007 TMNT presides just to the right of that linked article in the form of April's voice actress.

[screwloose]

As a fan of B Movies, CGI isn't that big of a deal if the actors are cast right and the story plot is good. Whether the CGI aged well or not it would be good. T2 Judgment Day's CGI is dated yet it works well in context of the movie.

[The Stryker]

I don't care if the actors were stellar. If the turtles looked like Gumby it all falls apart.

Also we're talking about CGI in 2001. ON TELEVISION.

[CyberCubed]

The whole reason this project never came together is probably BECAUSE they didn't have the budget to make the CG acceptable back in 2001.

I thought it was pretty obvious they dropped the idea.

[John Pannozzi]

Well...

Originally Posted by Peter Laird

But the coolest thing I got to see this week was a short (about five minutes long) video of a rough "proof of concept" test -- filmed in London by the people designing the costumes for the Hallmark live-action TV movie -- of the Splinter costume. It was freakin' EERIE. Splinter (portrayed by a short actor within the rough suit) was shown gesturing, walking around, climbing ladders and stairs, and fighting... and it looked AMAZING. As much as I loved the work the Henson group did on Splinter in the first two TMNT movies, I think this one is going to blow that one away. I can't wait to see more. I've been told they are going to start work on a maquette of the Shredder shortly. We've already approved the sculpts of the four Turtles, which are extremely cool. I'm chompin' at the bit to post some of these images, but for various reasons have to wait a little bit.

So maybe it wouldn't have all been CGI.

[Candy Kappa]

need pictures!

Internet why you fail me.

[Stingray69]

Ive read about this a few times before. I would of loved to seen it made.

[Bob]

Need pictures of that "eerie" Splinter.

[Bauer536]

Love the idea, but the title of Hallmark says it all. To me, when I see the title Hallmark, I think of those sappy little dramas they release on DVD after it aired on television. Never in my life did I ever think Hallmark would film that kind of TV movie. Still, a film like that would have been tempting to see.

[Stingray69]

For what its worth rainbow studios which became thq was suppose to do the cgi.

[Jester]

I wonder if he was pressed if Peter would do a write up on the Hallmark film...