The cgi movie that was turned down

[Sabacooza]

I find it rather pitiful that Mirage just gave up so easily on this. I mean is it too much to ask to shop around a bit to find another animation studio to take on the project even if it's to go the 2D animation route? If I owned a specific franchise and I wanted to make a film of it and for some reason my first plan of action failed I wouldn't just pack up and say oh, that's it I might as well forget it. I'd keep searching for the next company that could do what I wanted. Laird needs to grow a backbone and keep looking for ways to make it happen instead of taking the advice of his scaredy cat CEO.

[DrSpengler]

Originally Posted by The Terror of Death

Peter Laird (and/or Mirage Licensing – I suppose the two are interchangeable when it comes to money) would finance the film almost solely out of his/its own pocket,

This bothers me.

He claims the comics are financed "out of his own pocket", now a movie is being financed "out of his own pocket". This makes me wonder, if everything TMNT-related is being "financed out of Laird's pocket" then...where is all the revenue from the last movie, the cartoon, the toys, the DVDs and all the other merchandise going?

Into Laird's pocket? If so, then he's supposed to be using that money to finance further TMNT projects, so why keep making a big production out of it to try and make people feel guilty?

And if the money isn't going into Laird's pocket and he IS financing every project with junior's college fund...then where the hell is all the money being made off TMNT merchandise going?

Seriously, I wish he'd quit it with the "I'm spending MY money on all this stuff so you should be grateful you're getting anything at all!" attitude. I'm sick to death of it.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

This bothers me.
Seriously, I wish he'd quit it with the "I'm spending MY money on all this stuff so you should be grateful you're getting anything at all!" attitude. I'm sick to death of it.

Sounds a bit like a George Lucas syndrome, eh? Maybe Laird wasn't looking ahead far enough to grab merchadising rights. You figure he would have though considering the sheer quantity of TMNT toys out there.

[Roseangelo]

Originally Posted by IMJ

Sounds a bit like a George Lucas syndrome, eh? Maybe Laird wasn't looking ahead far enough to grab merchadising rights. You figure he would have though considering the sheer quantity of TMNT toys out there.

I'm not sure what you're talking about; Peter has full control over everything, including all merchandising. I don't know how you imply that he doesn't.

And Lucas listens to fans, Laird doesn't. The comparison between the two doesn't work.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Dan

The most mature versions of the Turtles are the movies and 2k3 series

Not even close.

[R-iZZy]

^ LOL! Yeah seriously. Someone obviously hasn't read a single issue of the first volume's comics, or the Body Count series. Eastman and Image were TMNT at its most ridiculously violent (can't deny that I loved it).

Really, I do hate Laird's mentality when it comes to how he treats his fans. It's like I've said, I'd rather it was Eastman who had control over the Turtles rather than Laird. It was a great idea, and if I owned the Turtles, I wouldn't let some company out of Hong Kong who had f*** all to do with what made the Turtles who they are today to be the ones to tell me some idea was bad. Seeing as these guys would co-sign the idea of monsters from thousands of years ago roaming NYC undetectively, I wouldn't trust their judgment on what's good for TMNT (sorry to Munroe and TMNT fans, loved the movie, but the plotline was stupid).

This idea was probably one of the best ideas to be thought of. I always did have the idea of directing a relaunch of the TMNT movie series based mainly on the comics; from plotlines to dialogue to atmosphere (although I'd still probably keep the color-coded bandanas). Murphy tried and I'd say he did a hell of a job. It just sucks that others don't share that same passion for the Mirage TMNT in the higher ups as Murphy does.

[Andrew NDB]

To his credit a little bit, though, it is kind of heartening to know that -- at some point -- Laird was fully willing to entirely fund a 100% faithful adaption of TMNT Vol. 1 #1 on film.

But yeah... a direct-to-DVD serious, mature, faithful take on the Mirage material was something I never even thought was a possibility. Even if it had happened it would have met with some of the expected, "That's not TMNT! Where's the different, brightly colored bandannas, Battle Shell and Bebop and cowabunga?" but at the same time, would have opened some serious eyes of those not living in a vacuum.

[Revan]

And what are they holding on to anyway. Those people who were fans of the OT and do not like serious turtles probably aren't interested in supporting the franchise anymore. I'm talking about the people who were fans when the fad was huge but have no interest anymore.
Why try to appease them when they don't care about the turtles anyway?

[Kendamu]

Because they would've started caring again if the newest TMNT movie featured the OT theme, Bebop, Rocksteady, Krang, and Shredder.

There's still money to milk out of them hence the retro line of TMNT clothes.

[Revan]

I doubt very much that those who have lost interest in the fad will ever find their way back into the fandom. But I suppose they might see a movie that brought them back to those days.
I wish I had all the answers!

[Kendamu]

Originally Posted by Neutrino

I doubt very much that those who have lost interest in the fad will ever find their way back into the fandom. But I suppose they might see a movie that brought them back to those days.
I wish I had all the answers!

The main complaint I heard from people who aren't currently a part of TMNT fandom who went to go see the newest TMNT movie and didn't like it cited the reasons of "no TMNT theme song, no Bebop and Rocksteady, no Krang, and no Shredder."

They wanted the OT on the big screen.

[Revan]

I heard the same thing over and over but even if it would have been an OT remake, I wonder if those people would have fell back into the tmnt franchise.

[Kendamu]

Originally Posted by Neutrino

I heard the same thing over and over but even if it would have been an OT remake, I wonder if those people would have fell back into the tmnt franchise.

As a whole? I doubt it. However, I bet Lionsgate would be selling a lot more copies of the OT DVDs, the sequel to the latest movie would've been greenlit the weekend the movie came out, more people would be all over the retro line of clothes, and this forum would be a bit more flooded with OT fans who liked the new movie based on the OT.

The only thing people would really complain about after that would be that it's not live action "...like their first movie! The one that had Vanilla Ice, Bebop, and Rocksteady in it!"

[Revan]

Yeah. What are we talking about again? Sure it might have made more money but at what cost?

I'm glad the franchise got away from the OT. It was fun for me when I was younger but that about all it was... fun. Yeah I know the comics are always there for me but a movie is a big deal. A dark movie would be amazing.

[Jelly Bean]

Dark ninja turtles is all I've ever known, and I think an even darker version of tmnt would be cool. I know alot of kids my age and younger would love it. I've never even seen any of the 80's cartoon.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

With all respect to the Murph and all, though, I'm left kind of wondering, having only read that excerpt alone.

What about the rest of Vol. 1 #1? Were the action scenes censored/withdrawn? Does Raph just hit the Foot with the butts of his sai rather than the business ends, does Leo just give Shredder a hard knee to the midsection rather than impaling him with both katana?

I'm actually curious about this too. After watching some of the other straight to DVD cartoons that have come out lately, like the ones DC is currently putting out, it looks like they are trying to push the envelope a little as far as violence in the cartoons, so I wonder if others might do the same.

I think I'd prefer a TMNT cartoon based on issue 1 in traditional animation though, something like that recent Justice League cartoon where they tried to imitate the style of the comic.

[gobo]

Originally Posted by Mr._Mutant_Man

After watching some of the other straight to DVD cartoons that have come out lately, like the ones DC is currently putting out, it looks like they are trying to push the envelope a little as far as violence in the cartoons, so I wonder if others might do the same.

[sarcasm]Violence at the expense of interesting story-telling, yay![/sarcasm]

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Originally Posted by gobo

[sarcasm]Violence at the expense of interesting story-telling, yay![/sarcasm]

I thought the two that have come out so far from DC have been great. Doomsday was good, I thought the JL one was even better.

Now the Marvel ones are pretty lousy. Makes me miss the 90's X-Men, Spider-Man, Hulk, and Iron Man series.

[Raven]

It would be very cool to see a straight translation of the first issuce in all its glory but just because they shot it down now makes me feel like it could come back up again, maybe if we voice our concern enough we could maybe get it back rolling?

Either way its nice to hear that they were planning on doing it.

[Sage Ninja]

Originally Posted by Raven

It would be very cool to see a straight translation of the first issuce in all its glory but just because they shot it down now makes me feel like it could come back up again, maybe if we voice our concern enough we could maybe get it back rolling?

Either way its nice to hear that they were planning on doing it.

or maybe we shouldn't. Because it seems to me that when ever we rally our selves up to make our voices heard they do the exact oppisite as if to spite us any way.