Abby Elliott Officially Joins TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

[leolao]

hey guys The Saturday Night Live actress has officially joined the TMNTreboot and was spotted on set earlier today, her role is yet to be revealed but many fans are saying that she will play Irma Langinstein.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansit...VOQQLkZ9w2l.99

[Shark_Blade]

Oh? Lovely.

It'll be awesome if she is indeed Irma!

More and more good news.

[RaphAndDonnie]

Can't wait until we find out what her exact role will be. If she turns out to be Irma the that'll be pretty cool.

[Shark_Blade]

I just watched Green with Jealousy last night, and Irma was just golden.

What a coincidence.

[Jester]

Knowing Abby Elliott (Chris Elliott's daughter) from SNL I'd assume Irma as well.

[Powder]

Never seen her or heard about her ever before, so I have no real opinion on her casting. Well, I guess I do because my initial reaction was "A blonde Irma? Do not want." but what can ya do...

[Jester]

So....why not April, guys...I mean come on...

[Chris]

First Vernon, now Irma, yep definitely getting an OT movie and that leaked scripted has either been completely trashed or VERY heavily re-written.

Part of me is a little disappointed. Before the sale we were looking at the fully Mirage inspired film, sure the sale and leaked script killed any hope of that but the recent confirmation of Vernon and now Irma have put the final nails in that coffin. But at the same time the little kid in me is over joyed! This is the film I dreamed of as a kid. Now if only we can get confirmation of the real Shredder and some spy pics of people in Bebob and Rocksteady mo-cap suits and I think the film could actually have a chance at being a really decent adaptation of the TMNT that most of us grew up on.

[Welmanshire]

More good news!

[Slap-Happy]

Where is there any confirmation that she's playing Irma?

[jerome]

Irma? ugh...the more fred wolf that goes into this movie the less my money will go into buying a ticket...

[Refractive Reflections]

Let's see... Vernon casted, and now Irma is rumored. (I'm pretty sure Abby Elliott will be, but I need a little more confirmation though. Otherwise... what other TMNT character could she play? And on top of that, she's a comedian actress...so it kind of limits the possibilities to Irma.)

I can bet the humor is going to be hilarious between Abby Elliott (Irma) and William Arnett (Vernon), if its done right, since those two are always teasing and insulting each other in the OT. These two could be the comic relief the movie needs if this movie turns out to be a darker interpretation of the OT, since I assume this movie is probably going to be PG-13. (Right...?)

What's next Burne Thompson? LOL (Won't be surprised...)

Yeah it's drifting more toward an OT vibe, but with those "military-esque" Foot Soldiers it's seems more of a modernized weaponry Foot Clan, which throws a "monkey wretch" in the whole situation. I can see that the production, writers, and directors are pretty smart to incorporate those OT elements because there's nothing more appealing to a movie than using cherished nostalgia elements that a generation grew up with. Especially a generation that is now earning income and can bring their own children along. These trickling pieces of information are making this movie more intriguing. Even though this movie may have the cherished elements of the OT, it still doesn't promise that the script and characterization will be good though. Unfortunately, we'll probably have to wait for the answer for that question when the critics and early screening viewers see the movie in 2014.

Okay now...this may be a stretch for some , but do you guys find Abby Elliott to be cuter and more appealing than Megan Fox? The thought crossed my mind when I noticed Jester and other commenters (in the article) say that Abby Elliott should be April.

[Andrew NDB]

If there's Vernon then it's a fair bet there'll be Irma.

Rubbish.

[Leo656]

I'm ok with Irma being in it, if she actually is, since they're making an OT-based film. Not where I would go, specifically, but I'm not telling them the story, they're telling me the story. On that note...

Let it go, bro. Do I agree with you that a predominantly-OT TMNT film is NOT what *I* would have done, given the chance? Absolutely. I don't think that by itself the OT is the best representation of the franchise.

But I absolutely don't think for a second a 100% Mirage-based TMNT film would be what's best for everyone, either. It may be "the source material", but it's absolutely not any different from any other version of TMNT in one sadly crucial way: About 1/3 of it is absolutely great, but you can skip at least 2/3s of it and not miss a damn thing, and will actually get a more enjoyable experience.

No matter what anyone says about "their" TMNT, be it Mirage, the OT, 2K3, the Archie books, etc., one thing is always true: Some true gems are in each series' storylines, but just as much if not more is either forgettable or just bad and/or worth skipping. Mirage isn't immune to that. Not one version of TMNT stands out as being "right" to me, they all added things that were memorable, expanded the audience, and helped the franchise grow. And that's a GOOD thing.

I know I drop a lot of comic analogies on you, but that's because I know you read at least as many comics as I do, if not more, and we're really into a lot of the same stuff, which is cool. But I wonder sometimes, do you get as riled up when other franchises deviate from "the source material" in the name of reaching a broader audience? Some of my favorite characters in comics were definitely NOT at their best during their "Year One" phase. Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash... they all benefited greatly from things that were added to the mythology by others, and I say TMNT are no different at all. Would a Superman who could not fly be a global icon having a blockbuster movie made about him 75 years later? I really doubt it, and frankly, a movie in 2013 with a blue footsie-pajama Superman who can't fly and fights 1940s gangsters would be a horrible decision. I honestly don't think Batman in the comics would have stayed relevant, either, without quickly adding Robin to soften the tone and give young kids a character to better relate to (those purple mittens didn't help Bats' case, either). Back to Superman, what would it be like if they'd never invented Kryptonite (not in "the source material", by the way, but in the very-different spin-off radio show)? Boooorrrr-ing. Some say the proliferation of Kryptonite in the comics and other media has become overdone, and I'd agree, but let's be honest: Would it be somehow *better* if the writers were reduced to always trying to invent scenarios risking Superman being hit by a train? After all, it was established very early in "the source material" that was one of the only ways to harm or kill him.

In other words: Should we simply ignore or erase the work that dozens of writers and artists put into expanding the mythologies of various fictional characters, simply because they contradict what one or two guys may have originally written in their notes some 30-80 years ago? OR, should they be allowed to grow and expand, like all fictions do, and be added to over time to create the most relevant version of the character(s) to their given time or place in the culture?

As far as the TMNT film, I'm approaching very, VERY cautiously. My hopes/expectations are fairly low, but I'm with those who say "at least we now semi-know what to expect," and frankly, I agree to a point that it's more important at this stage to make a film that appeals to a large audience, rather than adhere to any "source material" or try and appease critics and Academy voters who will never "get it" anyway with a "purists" take. I promise you, if Hollywood made a purely Mirage-based TMNT film, two things would happen: It would do sh*tty box office because it's a niche version of the material, thus ensuring another 10-15 year wait for another TMNT film, and secondly, not one critic or non-fan would take TMNT more seriously just because the purists take itself is "More serious". No sane person looks at something called "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" without realizing it HAS to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Don't take my opinion, take any critic, adult over 40 or "normal, non-fan" and ask them what *they* think of when someone says "TMNT". They think it's a joke, and that has only a little bit to do with the OT. People were calling it a joke when the first Mirage comic saw print. Let's not pretend otherwise, it's pretentious.

Fans have a tendency to elevate things they love to an artificial level of importance. I get it. We all do it. We love things and take them seriously, and want others to do the same, and we get frustrated when things happen that we feel keeps others from seeing what we love about this or that. But that's because we're "fans", short for "fanatics", which of itself implies we have a slightly-biased view of things to begin with.

What's really more important: A film that adheres strictly, and boringly, to the source, which would thrill a vocal minority and likely not win over many new fans, OR a more wide-open TMNT film that brings in a few million new fans, which in turn means more movies, more cartoons, more toys, and more TMNT in general for ALL of us? I vote B.

To me, the "right" way to do a TMNT film would be to take liberally from ALL the different versions and apply the most memorable and relevant bits into one cohesive whole. That's the best way to please the most people; a Mirage film, an OT film, a 2K3 film... I don't honestly think any one of those has a strong enough base on its own to make "the best possible TMNT film". Just the best possible film *for those fans, and no-one else*. I'm not overly-thrilled they seem to be going 99% OT, but again, "seats-to-asses", it's the best way to go if their main concern is money and expanding the franchise, and they insist on elevating one version above the rest. You have to give the people what they want, and most people seem to prefer the OT.

Sorry for the essay, and for going so far off the main topic with it, but I truly don't understand why anyone who thinks a Mirage TMNT film is the only way to go hasn't just stopped paying attention to the film entirely by now, let alone keep voicing their dismay about it. It's great to have an opinion, but you're all spitting in the wind at this point. You're never, ever going to get what you want.

I'm sorry, but this is as nice as I can put it: Mirage is Dead, the franchise has long since passed you by and been passed on to others who don't love it like you do, and if that one piece of the TMNT history is all you think is worthy of being remembered or adapted, well... why are you even a TMNT fan anymore to begin with?

Again, sorry to rant, just... get OVER it, already, guys... seriously... even if the movie sucks, it won't specifically be because it was based on the OT, it'll be because it was done badly. One need not preclude the other, not at all.

[Jester]

Uh oh Leo, you put "source material" in quotes....be careful.

[MikeandRaph87]

Its funny to see it because less than two minutes go I was reading an article about Kristen Wiig's return to SNL and thinking about how Abby just seemed underutilized and let go by SNL. She is also darn cute unlike the overrated Fox. Hope she gets a chance to shine. Maybe get a cool cameo with her dad Chris Elliot? That would be cool.
Edit:
Jester,you hit the nail on the head. Better choice IMHO! If only her and Fox could have had their roles switched.

[CyberCubed]

Irma is probably going to have a minor role. I can only see her appearing when April is at Channel 6.

[BubblyShell22]

Sounds interesting for sure. If she's Irma, that would be cool.

[LH]

Abby Elliott is a very funny actress, so i'm sure she would make a very funny Irma.

[jerome]

hmmm worried this will lead to a terrible 15 minute stretch of the film where we don't see the turtles at all and are subjected to some sort of news room/office hijinks between her and arnett similar to Ken Jeong and John Malkavich in Transformers 3...