1996 movie proposal?

[turkishproverb]

I keep hearing things batted about involving a 1996 live action proposal involving a "kirby turtle" but can never find any details. IS there any truth to it, and can anyone give me any info on this?

[Kendamu]

Well, I know for a fact that Kevin Eastman came up with a Kirby Turtle that was drawn to life. I don't know exactly when or for what the drawing was made for. Obviously he was never put into any stories, though.

[discordiatookie]

Roseangelo has some info here (http://ninja-pizza.blogspot.com/2008/05/other-fourth-movie.html)

And a picture from Kevin Eastman's artobiography (taken on a digital camera, so it aint the clearest, but you get the idea!!

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa15/discordiatookie/SDC10082.jpg

[Kendamu]

An alternate dimension of gothic proportions, eh? That actually would've been really cool to see.

[odupianist]

Maybe they could use ideas from this suggested movie for the TMNT sequel...?

[Buffy]

Those Kirby designs are interesting; one of the designs makes me think of the alien creature from all those alien movies :D

[veemonjosh]

Well, I know for a fact that Kevin Eastman came up with a Kirby Turtle that was drawn to life.

First you draw a circle,
Then you dot the eyes,
Add a great big smile, and Presto!
It's Kirby!

:lol:

[turkishproverb]

Roseangelo has some info here (http://ninja-pizza.blogspot.com/2008/05/other-fourth-movie.html)

And a picture from Kevin Eastman's artobiography (taken on a digital camera, so it aint the clearest, but you get the idea!!

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa15/discordiatookie/SDC10082.jpg

Wow. Cool, but very different from Eastman's normal work.

Looks like something by Jhonen Vasquez.

[Kendamu]

First you draw a circle,
Then you dot the eyes,
Add a great big smile, and Presto!
It's Kirby!

:lol:
You win five Internets!

[Zachatello00]

About 6 years ago, Peter did a blog-esque series of posts called "blast to the past." In them, he explained that the original 4th movie was going to be called TMNT: the Next Mutation (perhaps it sounds familiar?). In the new movie, the ooze would be continuing to mutate the turtles and Splinter, giving each of them more Super hero type abilities. If I remember correctly, Raphael and Splinter could go "beastal" (similiar to a Hulk like state), Michelangelo had a shape shifting ability, and Donatello was developing telepathic abilities, but as a nasty side effect, was loosing his eyesight. I can't remember what Leo's ability was, though I can't shake the feeling that it was a Reed Richards like stretching ability. Also, each of the turtles were wearing different types of outfits. Mike was wearing more normal clothing, as he had the ability to turn himself into a human, and go topside for re-con stuff, Leo had a new agey sort of look, complete with a rising sun head band, Don had crafted a sort of visor (akin to cyclops' visor from the xmen) that allowed him to maximize what eyesight he had left so he could continue to see. Raph and Splinter both looked pretty much the same when they weren't "hulked up."

Obviously it fell through. I don't remember why, but Peter explained it in his blogs. A couple years later, when Saban teamed up with Mirage to do the live action turtle tv show, they used the name Next Mutation, which now referred not to the turtles continued changes, but to the introduction of a new mutant turtle in Venus De Milo. I'm not sure if they still have those blogs up or not at the website. I looked for it for a little while and couldn't find them. I bet we could convince Dan to put it back up though. Peter had concept drawings of each of the turtles as well, they were pretty neat. In the end though, I think I"m personally happier with the way things turned out.

[Ninjinister]

http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0036.html
http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0037.html
http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0038.html
http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0039.html
http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0040.html

[Jester]

http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0037.html
http://www.planetracers.com/blast/leonewcostume.jpg
The “rising sun” bandana on Leo in this version actually comes from a much earlier costume redesign session. I kind of dig the “utility belt” Leo has in this drawing. I believe Leo’s new mutation was the ability to morph his skin into a kind of nearly impenetrable chrome-like surface (shades of Ben Boxer from Kirby’s “Kamandi” comics!).

-- Peter Laird

http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0036.html
http://www.planetracers.com/blast/donnewcostumeinks.jpg
This is one of five pieces which were drawn by me and inked by Kevin as possible new takes on the main characters of the TMNT universe, as part of the development process for the never-filmed fourth TMNT movie. We had put our heads together at the request of the movie studio and came up with some tweaks for the guys -- we were calling it “TMNT: The Next Mutation”. (This was before the live-action TV show.) The general idea was that the mutagen was continuing to change the turtles and Splinter, giving them new abilities -- and new problems.

Don was given the least obvious mutation -- growing telekinetic and telepathic abilities, unfortunately counterpointed by diminishing eyesight (hence the vision-enhancing goggles). We also provided him with an updated “techno” version of his bo staff.

-- Peter Laird

http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0039.html
http://www.planetracers.com/blast/michaelangelonewcostume.jpg
We gave Mike a more “street” look because his new mutation gave him the ability to project a human appearance onto his turtle features, allowing him to interact freely with humans.

-- Peter Laird

http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0040.html
http://www.planetracers.com/blast/raphaelnewlook.jpg
One of our ideas was to give Raphael the ability to “morph” into what we were calling “Raptor Raph”, complete with big gnashy teeth and claws to complement his big gnashy personality. This was not much of a stretch, obviously. In retrospect, while this new approach was probably appropriate for Raph, it was also uncomfortably close to what we were proposing for Splinter.

http://www.planetracers.com/blast/prblast0038.html
http://www.planetracers.com/blast/splinternewlook.jpg
We wanted to give Splinter a much more active part in the battles that the turtles fought, and so he was going to have the ability to morph into a big, lithe, muscular “super rat mutant” type of thing. Okay, it’s lame.

-- Peter Laird

There you go. :P

EDIT: Blast you S!!! But no matter. :P

[gobo]

I like Eastman's side of the story better. :ohwell:

[Jester]

Eastman's side? Explain yourself, Fraggle.

[Kendamu]

I like Eastman's side of the story better. :ohwell:
Can you elaborate?

[Zachatello00]

Thanks guys, I knew those had to be around here somewhere.

[gobo]

The part about Kirby. That's all I meant. This X-Turtles thing seems a good deal less interesting.

[Ninjinister]

Blast to the Past is a great way to look back on things like Laird's concept of The Sliver and action figures that never made it. I think his blog is actually an evolution of BttP.

[Jester]

The part about Kirby. That's all I meant. This X-Turtles thing seems a good deal less interesting
Indeed, exactly why I didn't like Red Sky's Super Mutations.

[discordiatookie]

The part about Kirby. That's all I meant. This X-Turtles thing seems a good deal less interesting.

I don't think that its 'Eastman's side' and 'Laird's side'. More like two totally seperate movie proposals for a fourth film (and goodness knows how far apart they were thought of....) For all we know, they coulda came up with the ideas together :D

[Magneto]

About 6 years ago, Peter did a blog-esque series of posts called "blast to the past." In them, he explained that the original 4th movie was going to be called TMNT: the Next Mutation (perhaps it sounds familiar?). In the new movie, the ooze would be continuing to mutate the turtles and Splinter, giving each of them more Super hero type abilities. If I remember correctly, Raphael and Splinter could go "beastal" (similiar to a Hulk like state), Michelangelo had a shape shifting ability, and Donatello was developing telepathic abilities, but as a nasty side effect, was loosing his eyesight. I can't remember what Leo's ability was, though I can't shake the feeling that it was a Reed Richards like stretching ability. Also, each of the turtles were wearing different types of outfits. Mike was wearing more normal clothing, as he had the ability to turn himself into a human, and go topside for re-con stuff, Leo had a new agey sort of look, complete with a rising sun head band, Don had crafted a sort of visor (akin to cyclops' visor from the xmen) that allowed him to maximize what eyesight he had left so he could continue to see. Raph and Splinter both looked pretty much the same when they weren't "hulked up."

Obviously it fell through. I don't remember why, but Peter explained it in his blogs. A couple years later, when Saban teamed up with Mirage to do the live action turtle tv show, they used the name Next Mutation, which now referred not to the turtles continued changes, but to the introduction of a new mutant turtle in Venus De Milo. I'm not sure if they still have those blogs up or not at the website. I looked for it for a little while and couldn't find them. I bet we could convince Dan to put it back up though. Peter had concept drawings of each of the turtles as well, they were pretty neat. In the end though, I think I"m personally happier with the way things turned out.
That's pretty interesting.

[Spitfire]

I'm sure budget issues is whats topped #4 from being made. With the special effects required to pull off the stuff they wanted in the film it would have been way more then any studio wanted to give them. Especially after #3, which I doubt did well.

[Roseangelo]

I think it was lack of earnings potential more than anything else. I forget where this was noted (maybe in something regarding last year's movie), but each live action TMNT movie cost more to make than the last and each made less money. By 1996, the TMNT craze was virtually gone and what was left was stuttering.

[Spitfire]

I have a hard time believing TMNT 3's ****** costumes cost more to make then Jim Henson's. I always figured 3 cost the least to make and #2 probably the most.

[Jester]

I'd agree...those costumes couldn't have cost more....except maybe due to inflation...:P

[Roseangelo]

I have a hard time believing TMNT 3's ****** costumes cost more to make then Jim Henson's. I always figured 3 cost the least to make and #2 probably the most.

Costumes aren't the only cost involved in making movies. But according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the cost for #3 was slightly less than #2. Not by much, though.

Movie 1: $13.5 million
Movie 2: $25 million
Movie 3: $21 million

[Jester]

Man, and the first film had the best costumes.

[thebrownranger]

Movie 1: $13.5 million
Movie 2: $25 million
Movie 3: $21 million

Hehehe shows how the 1st flick was the best with a low amount spent on costumes and they kicked ass :P We need Hensen for the next movie

[Spitfire]

Costumes aren't the only cost involved in making movies. But according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the cost for #3 was slightly less than #2. Not by much, though.

Movie 1: $13.5 million
Movie 2: $25 million
Movie 3: $21 million

Believe me I'm well aware of that but the overall production value of #3 was complete ass. The acting was *****Meaning they probably didn't pay for very many top notch actors*, the writing was piss poor, and all the sets looked like rehashes from other films. The fact it cost what it did baffles me. Unless that counts the advertising then maybe I can see that.

Amazing they made them all for under 30 mil which is what the new movie cost to make I believe. Really shows you how cost of making films has went up.

Personally I thought 2 had the best costumes, except Super Shredder and his Halloween costume with drawn on muscles.

[Wildcat]

Im glad the X Turtles were not made,Im sure after a bit of thought they were glad too cause its so clich'e having transforming Beast modes when they get mad and Mike having Shape-shifting abilities....ya like none of thats been done before :roll:

As far as Kirby goes,would have been pretty cool but Im sure some of those sketches were just for fun like the Weenie-head one and the super skinny tall one with long fingers.

[sgtfbomb]

I'm rather glad this didn't pan out. While it is just concept art, Raph and Splinter look too evil in their beasty designs. I don't like the idea of the turtles having superpowers. It sort of takes away from the Ninja aspect of things.