New Kevin Eastman Interview about the new Movie and upcoming sequel

[TigerClaw]

techtimes.com has a new Interview with Kevin Eastman, Here are the bits he talks about of the new movie and its upcoming sequel.
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/21...ja-turtles.htm

The new film began with a bit of controversy amongst the hardcore fan base when they heard some of the details. What was it about Michael Bay and Jonathan Liebesman's angle on the project that convinced you that this was the right direction for the turtles?

Both Michael and Jonathan - especially Jonathan, who I have great respect for and think he's just an awesome guy - were great. On day two, Jonathan called me in and said, "I just want to come up with a way to bring the turtles into a today kind of story, but I want the heart and soul to be true to everything you originally created. We want to update and change some things."

Even right down to the look of the turtles in the new movie. It was based on a comic book that Michael Zulli did for us many years ago, before even the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was made. He took a more realistic tone to the turtles and their styling. So they wanted to make a great movie and an exciting movie.

I told them that, much like when we introduced the new Nickelodeon series, there were fans that were horrified that we were doing computer animation as opposed to traditional animation. And now they love it. It goes right back to when we did the first animated show. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a black-and-white comic book that had a lot more edge to it than an animation show for kids. The original fans were mortified, but have since grown to embrace it, to a certain extent. We all have our soft spots and our hardcore fan line that we draw with our heroes that we grew up with.

Is it tough for you, as a creator, to try to please both the hardcore fan and the new fan while moving the creation in a newer direction?

It is. What comes to mind immediately is when I was growing up and reading comic books - Captain America, The Avengers, Daredevil, Batman, etc. There always seemed to be new creative teams. That's the nature of the industry. I still remember Daredevil #158 when they introduced a new penciler named Frank Miller. Each person had their own version of the characters and their own vision. Some were incredibly inspiring - like Frank Miller's The Dark Knight - and some were less inspiring, but you still liked them. You still loved the character. You might not have liked how they did the characters exactly, but you still loved that they embraced most of the heart and soul of those characters.

When we were working on and engineering what was going to be this movie, much like when we did the new IDW series and the new Nickelodeon series, there were variations in all of them. We just hoped that fans would stick with us and see that the guys are still the guys, but this is the way we want to spin the story.

I think having you behind the project is a big thing for fans, as well, because they know that this your baby and your going to take care of it.

For Michael Bay and Jonathan Liebesman, that was word one from day one. They said, "We know this is your baby and we just want to make sure that you're involved and you have some say in it, and can help us make a great film." That was really inspiring because they certainly didn't need to. I don't own an interest in the turtles anymore, but they came to me and said they wanted to make a great film. That was inspiring to me.

News for the sequel is starting to hit the web. You have David Green on board to direct, and there's been some talk about getting Bebop, Rock-Steady, Casey Jones, and maybe Krang in the film. Any other surprises fans can look forward to?

That's what has been so cool about all this. Even the new animated series and the new comic series, in each of those versions we created a new universe and a new foundation based on 30 years of turtle history. We could pull ideas that we liked, change them a little, tweak them a little, redirect them a little bit, and within that foundation there's plenty of room to introduce new characters and new things that can be equally cool.

Casey Jones is a critical character. He's the second human character ever introduced to the turtles, so we definitely want to see him back. I would love to see Krang. He's just an awesome bad guy that offers endless story possibilities. Of course, any new mutants (Bebop, Rock-Steady, or anybody else) offer some great material to mine. We hope to come up with some surprises and some things that I hope fans will get a big kick out of. A little something new with a little something old.

Was the absence of some of those characters in this first film just a result of having to do the basic world building and not wanting to bring in too many characters?

That was definitely there. We didn't want to something like in some of the later Batman movies where they brought in too many characters at once. Even some of the new Spider-Man movies, they were trying to cover too much territory with too many classic characters and too many new characters. I felt like it took away from the story a little bit, so with this one we wanted to keep it sweet and simple.

So you're interested, but you haven't heard anything just yet?

I'm being coy because I've heard lots of stuff, but I don't want to give away too much because somebody from Paramount will come down and beat me up or something. [Laughs]

[Candy Kappa]

When was Zulli's Art direction ever present in the concept art or the final product?

[Leo656]

I know, right? This guy so clearly just talks and says whatever he thinks will get a good reaction. I mean, bless him, but the fact there are a TON of people who actually take the stuff he says seriously is just mind-boggling to me.

He's turning into TMNT's George Lucas.

[TurtleTitan97]

For Michael Bay and Jonathan Liebesman, that was word one from day one. They said, "We know this is your baby and we just want to make sure that you're involved and you have some say in it, and can help us make a great film."

HAH! Yeah right!

[The Turtle Terminator]

Ha ha! I knew it. I just knew it. I was actually going to make a thread about Souls Winter TMNT looking like the Bay TMNT.

[pennydreadful]

I feel that only Alan Rickman can adequately express my feelings on this whole affair.

[Ramboraph4life aka Matt]

Well...if there was actual heart and soul and if the Turtles were Actual Characters in the new film...then maybe you would be making sense, Eastman.

But honestly, since the new film has none of that...Eastman just sounds like he is absolutely out of touch (I wonder if he'll repeat that the 'fight scenes will be like The Raid' when the sequel comes out).

I'm sorry for being rude, but Eastman just sounds like he has FOSS (aka Full of S*** Syndrome).

[Bloodsucker]

there are some words which pain me here. Those words are tweak, new, and change. These are the bad words.

and some were less inspiring, but you still liked them. You still loved the character. You might not have liked how they did the characters exactly, but you still loved that they embraced most of the heart and soul of those characters.

Eastman has not checked this movie section.

[Galactus]

I remember Leibesman in one of the interviews where he stated he just looked at still images for research (because y'know that's all you need) he mentioned that Eastman showed him some comic books and how edgy it all looked. I always assumed it was Eastman's own work like Bodycount and TMNT25 but it's possible among them was Zulli's Souls Winter.

I suppose it's much more likely than the lead designer claiming they were based on Eastman & Laird's original designs, a rather shocking claim but seriously if they factored Zulli's designs in at all it doesn't show in the finished product.

Not that I want Kevin to be attacked or anything but I'd love him to be interviewed by someone who had at least some TMNT knowledge where he can't get away with some of the fudging of facts he does in interviews.

Originally Posted by The Turtle Terminator

Ha ha! I knew it. I just knew it. I was actually going to make a thread about Souls Winter TMNT looking like the Bay TMNT.

Yeah they look nothing Zulli's turtles.

[Bloodsucker]

They are not doing interviews. They are doing propaganda. It's like here, the news is all lies to make us distracted.

[MrTMNT2012]

The movie had a lot of heart and soul. Eastman is doing the best he possibly can for the franchise and I can't wait for some of these changes he's hinting at!

[Galactus]

Originally Posted by MrTMNT2012

The movie had a lot of heart and soul.

Where?

Eastman is doing the best he possibly can for the franchise

I'm not sure if being an eternally optimistic spokesman really affects the franchise. It's pretty clear most die hard fans no longer put any weight in what he says and the general public don't even know who he is.

I can't wait for some of these changes he's hinting at!

I doubt he actually knows himself. I think most fans are dreading it either way.

[TigerClaw]

I'm looking forward to what the sequel will bring, I'm not a fan who sticks to one version of TMNT, I have embrace every version that has ever come out, I'm just happy that TMNT is still around, And that a new generation can enjoy it.

[Bloodsucker]

Originally Posted by TigerClaw

I'm looking forward to what the sequel will bring, I'm not a fan who sticks to one version of TMNT, I have embrace every version that has ever come out, I'm just happy that TMNT is still around, And that a new generation can enjoy it.

Reading what you say makes me think you feel TMNT is a cause that you must fight for, and anything is acceptable no matter what as long as it has the official TMNT on it.

I think you are blinded by faith I think. Sorry it's just the truth how I see it. Many of you are sort of suckers, or hypnotized zombies who have a compulsion to buy anything and fight people who are not TMNT drunk.

They should make it a My Little Pony TMNT cross-over, and at the end they all fall in love.
You would still love it?

[TigerClaw]

Originally Posted by Bloodsucker

Reading what you say makes me think you feel TMNT is a cause that you must fight for, and anything is acceptable no matter what as long as it has the official TMNT on it.

I think you are blinded by faith I think. Sorry it's just the truth how I see it. Many of you are sort of suckers, or hypnotized zombies who have a compulsion to buy anything and fight people who are not TMNT drunk.

I don't really get into any of those arguments, I just state what i like and move on.

I'm happy seeing something i grew up with still being relevant for today's society.

[Bloodsucker]

Originally Posted by TigerClaw

I don't really get into any of those arguments, I just state what i like and move on.

I'm happy seeing something i grew up with still being relevant for today's society.

Oh okay then. So you are closed minded. Okay, I'll move on.

But why are you happy that they like what you liked?
It's not the same thing anymore, they change so much. It's more like you like what they like now.

[TigerClaw]

Originally Posted by Bloodsucker

Oh okay then. So you are closed minded. Okay, I'll move on.

Actually I'm open minded, I accepted any incarnation of TMNT that has ever come out.

Being closed minded means, You only like one version.

[Bloodsucker]

Originally Posted by TigerClaw

Actually I'm open minded, I accepted any incarnation of TMNT that has ever come out.

Being closed minded means, You only like one version.

I think to be closed mind means you only care for your own opinion.

[TigerClaw]

Originally Posted by Bloodsucker

I think to be closed mind means you only care for your own opinion.

Well, Everyone has an opinion on how TMNT should be, But I wouldn't let someone else's opinion change mines, Nor will I ever change there's, So I said what I said based on my own experience with the franchise growing up.

[Bloodsucker]

Originally Posted by TigerClaw

Well, Everyone has an opinion on how TMNT should be, But I wouldn't let someone else's opinion change mines, Nor will I ever change there's, So I said what I said based on my own experience with the franchise growing up.

So if they are so different now, but you still like it, what is it you are likeing?
there must be a thing, that if it was not the same anymore, you would not like it anymore. Is there such a thing? please let me know.