TMNT: Out of the Shadows Set Report

[TigerClaw]

Joblo has just posted there set report for TMNT 2, and has info on what they saw during the filming.
http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/teen...on-the-set-152

2014's TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is a mixed bag in even the most generous of assessments. Met mostly with either indifference or anger from fans of the comics and cartoon series, and attacked thoroughly by critics (it received a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with our own Chris Bumbray giving it a 5 out of 10), the franchise reboot wasn't terribly popular but made enough dough ($493 million worldwide) to warrant a sequel. But is anyone clamoring for a sequel that would offer more of the same?

Having been on the set of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2 - or TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS, as it is now known - I can assure you that the principal parties are not promising more of the same. The message seems to have been received, and multiple people I spoke to on the set - from the Turtles themselves to the producers - are intent on delivering a follow-up that is more in line with what fans wanted the first time around. With the inclusion of favorite characters like Casey Jones, Baxter Stockman and doltish henchman Bebop and Rocksteady - and the return of the Turtles, natch - studio Paramount Pictures and production company Platinum Dunes are fully aiming to gain the trust of the TMNT faithful. Besides, if a mediocre product like the first one can still gobble up $500 million theatrically alone, a sequel that gets things right should easily surpass that figure.

The set visit, which was attended by myself and a handful of other web journalists, took place in late May in Tribeca, New York. The NY Law School had been outfitted to look like a police station, which was the scene of some massive turmoil. Debris was everywhere, extras in Foot Clan costumes strolled about, indicating the villainous group was responsible for the damage. And the Turtles were in the building: actors Noel Fisher (Michelangelo), Alan Ritchson (Raphael), Jeremy Howard (Donotello) and Pete Ploszek (Leonardo) were present, with Fisher and Ritchson outfitted in their elaborate faux-turtles mo-cap suits. This sequence dealt only with Michelangelo and Raphael, but the other guys were nice enough to show up so we could chat with them. Also around from the cast were Laura Linney, who plays a police chief who grudgingly works alongside the Turtles, Stephen Amell, who straps on the hockey mask as Casey Jones, and Megan Fox, returning as April O'Neil. We would only really get face-time with Ms. Linney, sadly, but talking to Laura Linney about mutant turtles is an item I can now cross off my bucket list.

So what's important to know about the new film? I've assembled some fast facts for you to help let you know where the filmmakers are taking the Turtles for their second go-round.

They Now Know What Movie They're Trying to Make

As mentioned, everyone involved we spoke to seemingly agreed that the first film was a bit messy tonally. The actors know it, the producers know it. Turns out there were at least three different versions of that film assembled, with a lot of material ultimately ending up on the cutting room floor. Writer-producer Andre Nemec (who co-wrote both films) indicated that finding the right tone for the film was one of the trickiest battles the creative team waged; the hope this time around is that everyone is on the same page and heading in the right direction. To quote Nemec, on the first film they "weren't even sure what the Turtles were going to be." And to quote Ritchson, the first film's director, Jonathan Liebesman, had a vision that was very different from the one new director Dave Green has, and all signs point to the latter having the correct one.

The Turtles Are Actually the Main Characters This Time!

It's clear one aspect of the sequel that is overwhelmingly important to the production is that the Turtles actually be the main characters, as opposed to April O'Neil. (You could say they were basically co-stars in their own movie the first time around; not the case anymore.) The actors and Nemec made it clear that the brotherhood between the Turtles and their interactions are taking a front seat in this movie. Add to that, the focus is on making TMNT2 a more family-friendly production, with irreverent comedy being especially important. (The funny elevator sequence from the first one was referenced by one of the actors as being a case where the chemistry between the Turtles was highlighted; expect more of that camaraderie to be displayed in part two.)

As writer Andre Nemec put it: "The movie leans into a very strong theme of what it means to grow up, and leaning into the notion of the teenager part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and that time of life where you don’t really know how you feel."

The New Director is... Kinder

Another adjustment is in the director's chair. Dave Green (Earth to Echo) is at the helm - only his second feature length film - but the producers are confidant he'll bring more of a fanboy-minded flourish to the sequel; the director is all of 32-years-old and grew up loving these characters. The absence of Liebesman did not evidently bring much sadness to the four guys who play the Turtles. One exchange went like this: When asked the difference between Green's approach and Liebesman's approach, one of the guys remarked, "Kindness." Ouch. It would seem as though this main cast is much more in tune with their new captain, although no one else threw Liebesman under the bus too harshly.

Platinum Dunes producer Andrew Form offered this: "You know, Liesbesman had to start this franchise, which was hard and finding the tone of the movie was hard, and now Dave gets to come into this movie with 90% of the crew from movie one, almost everybody, everybody is returning cast wise except for a couple of new people, so he gets to walk right into this machine that is really moving along nicely."

The Plot is Still a Mystery

Even though I was on the set and spoke to the cast and producers, don't ask me what TMNT2 is about. I still don't know. Form was as cagey as one could be, and the Turtles - great guys though they are - towed the line. What was hammered home for us were notions that it's focused on the Turtles' relationships to one another and the city they live in. Not all of New York City knows about the Turtles' existence, but they are forced to reveal themselves to a handful of new people, like Linney's police chief character. The sequel picks up approximately 6-8 months after the end of the first one (this according to Form). Shredder is back (this time played by Brian Tee), once again seeking to wreak havoc on NYC with the help of mad scientist Baxter Stockman and new lackeys Bebop and Rocksteady. Naturally, there are rumors that we'll get to see Dimension X in the movie, but I honestly can neither confirm nor deny that. (Addendum: That footage in the first trailer absolutely makes it look like Dimension X is touched upon.)

I was able to see some rough footage from the film, none of which really shed much light on the particulars of the story: Tyler Perry (as Stockman) getting out of a cab near Grand Central Station; Bebop and Rocksteady (in human form) talking in a bar and being approached by Shredder; a couple of Foot Clansmen leaping over Casey Jones and April O'Neil. Looked decent, but without context there's not much to glean from what we were shown.

So yes, this was a very tight-lipped crew. That said...

The Sky Opens and The Stakes are Global

Form tipped his hand a little bit in regards to the plot when he said, "We open up the sky at the end of this movie and some crazy stuff happens. You know we don't just have a tower falling off of a building in Times Square. The stakes in this movie are global, where in the first movie I feel like they were contained to 45th and 7th and now they are fully global, and which is a much bigger story than we had in movie one." Dimension X sure is looking likely.

All of New York will be Center Stage

The streets of NYC play a bigger role in the TMNT2 universe, with more exterior sequences than the first one. Form said they were using plenty of recognizable landmarks in TMNT2, from Grand Central to Times Square to the Statue of Liberty, and that NYC is a character in this movie as much as it is in GHOSTBUSTERS (which they apparently look to as a movie that really captures the city).

Fans Have Plenty of Easter Eggs to Look Forward To

According to Andre Nemec, serious fans of TMNT should be on the lookout for easter eggs hidden throughout the film: "There are a couple of good, fun, deep canon Easter Eggs. There are things that if you are paying attention, there will be a name here or there. There will be a number on something that means something to super fans... I always make the joke because I like putting these things in, I’m like, there are eight people who will see this movie and be like, ‘Right on! I can’t believe they did that!’ But probably not more than eight people will notice some of the Easter eggs."

[TigerClaw]

Quotes from the actors on the set
http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/teen...ura-linney-704

TMNT2's MAIN FOCUS IS THE BOND BETWEEN BROTHERS

Meeting the four actors who play the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Noel Fisher (Michelangelo), Alan Ritchson (Raphael), Jeremy Howard (Donotello) and Pete Ploszek (Leonardo) - you genuinely get the sense they enjoy each other's company. There's nothing false about their interaction with each other, which is certainly a crucial element in making the relationships between the Turtles just as enjoyable. Indeed, the name of the game when it comes to TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS is family; everyone involved in the film that I met while on the set insisted that the Turtles and how they relate to one another is the real core of the sequel.

Fisher, who just as in the movies comes off as the little brother of the group, said: "Us four as people have a really great natural chemistry that's been there from the get-go. We really genuinely like hanging out and busting each others' balls, like brothers would. I think that's the main thing we're bring along with more of the turtles in this movie. So we got the opportunity to bring all of that energy to it."

As to how that translates to the sequel, Ritchson offered: "I think the comedy and the chemistry of the turtles was what seemed to work the best the first time, and what is the emphasis this time." Fisher had similar thoughts, adding that director Dave Green is instrumental to making this film a more lighthearted affair. "He focuses a lot on the heart of how the brothers interact, showing a lot about the love there. And we get to explore that a lot more this time. That's kind of what I look forward to."

Ploszek, too, was eager to explore the brotherhood of the Turtles. "What I’m most excited about with this movie is it’s a lot more emotionally driven amongst the brothers. You’re really going to see four brothers being brothers, and fighting and trying to make up and telling each other how they feel and I think it’s the point now where we’re all a little bit older."

It's clear that making the first film wasn't exactly easy on the guys. When asked how it felt to be back for another film, Ritchson said, "It feels good. I've got to be honest, I was a little nervous about coming back because the first run of this - the first trial run of the first film - was pretty tough. Pretty tough." Ploszek added, "I think that has informed our approach to this one though in the sense that I think we're all very aware of the movie we made last time. What worked. What didn't work. When you see what made it and what didn't make it (into the final cut), it really informs your choices as an actor. "

As for what the guys are looking forward to doing in this one that they didn't have a chance to in the last? Play with the badass new Turtle Van - or, as Andrew Form calls it, the Turtle Truck, which is much bigger than the van they had in movie one and has been outfitted by Donatello into "literally the best man cave" he's ever seen. There's also a new Turtle Lair to look forward to, what with their last one getting destroyed and all.

And what sequence should we look out for? Ritchson's suggestion: "I would say the opening, the first act. The first act is essentially a giant, amazing action sequence. The film starts out super explosive and it just doesn’t let up. We’ve actually seen some of it already cut together and it’s pretty mind blowing."

Laura Linney is the Turtles' New Frenemy

I knew beforehand that she was in it, but I still think it took actually seeing Laura Linney on the set of TMNT2 for me to actually believe it. The three-time Academy Award nominee plays Rebecca Vincent, a bureau chief of organized crime in New York City who at first opposes the wacky antics of the Turtles before coming to accept the gang as her necessary comrades in the fight against evil.

Describing her character, Linney said: "I think she’s just a skeptical New Yorker... she has some wisdom to her, she has some instinct that there’s goodness there [referring to the Turtles], so she has a heart. Through the course of the movie, without being this great portrayal of a woman who’s a police chief, she does change through the movie. You see her be hardened and stereotypical towards the beginning, and then the more time she spends with the and she sees not only what they’re capable of, but they're different personalities."

Probably not a spoiler to let you know Linney confirmed that she'll indeed be a friend to mutant turtles everywhere.

"It takes me a while to grasp the situation, to understand what these creatures are, to value their assistance and what they have to offer, and then I become an ally."

As for what drew her to the part, Linney explained it was hardly scientific. "I didn’t seek it out, it came to me and it took me a minute to sort of think about it and then I watched the first one and those turtles are just fantastic and it was filming here in the city and I now have a little boy and it all just sort of fell into place and I just thought why not?"

Why not indeed! No one's complaining.

I didn't get a chance to talk to Megan Fox (although she was on set) and hardly had a moment with Stephen Amell (who sat down with myself and the other journalists on set for all of two minutes before being pulled away forever), but the two are obviously the human protagonists in the film and forge a burgeoning romance together.

The Turtles will have a typically uneasy relationship with Casey initially before finding him to be an ally as well. They'll need all the help they can get if indeed the portal to Dimension X is opened up.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Encouraging words.

True, though? Well, we'll see, won't we?

[Powder]

Besides the April/Casey stuff, I'm pleasantly surprised beyond my wildest (yet realistic) expectations. I really hope they're not blowing smoke, because I genuinely feel good about a lot of this, & I need that. I really, really need that. It looks & sounds quite good (for what it is). Excitement, nice to meet you. Will it be the TMNT movie I want? Nah. But I'm all for second chances. Maybe we can still be friends after all.

[Galactus]

Doesn't seem like the coolest of things to do to put all the blame on Liebesman.

That Blue Door script, most of the design work and so on was all done before he came aboard as director and even the decisions he made it's not like the other producers weren't complicit in it. I'm guessing he'll be a convenient scapegoat in selling this movie.

As for the focus being on the turtles, well I'll believe it when I see it. They said the exact same things last time, that the characters and story would have depth and look what we got. The strange thing is the idea of using a more grounded character as window to wacky stuff is a fine trope and to be fair the turtles did get more screen time than the Autobots in their movie but at very least the overall story was about the Transformers, TMNT '14 was about April, her career, her daddy issues, her pets and that was all on Nemec and Applebaum.

Also who wants TMNT to be complete schlock. A certain amount of stylistic and thematic darkness is necessary with this franchise.

TMNT has never worked when it's complete schlock. The 80s animated series started at least somewhat serious in the context of Saturday morning cartoons of the time but quickly jumped the shark when it became too silly and comedic.Likewise the 1990 movie is still regarded as the best and even those who like it as a guilty pleasure will cop that Secret of the Ooze is a lesser sequel certainly commercially it was a big step down which is surprising given it was only a year after the Steve Barron movie when the franchise was still at it's peak.

I get that it's ludicrous concept and in principal you can get away with near enough anything but it doesn't work in practice. There are things that come across too ludicrous or too out there. Likewise the fact that it's had it's fair share of bad versions doesn't give new versions free reign to be bad.

We just need a good sense of balance, I don't why that's so hard. The original idea of mixing light and dark was solid, it was just executed poorly. What they shouldn't do oversteer in the other direction. It seems they've taken the wrong lessons from the poor reception of the previous movie.

[TigerClaw]

According to the set report, The Turtles are front and center this time.

[TurtleTitan97]

I'll believe it when the reviews come in.

Until then, not buying any of it.

[TigerClaw]

It also mentions that the sky opens up at the end of the movie, so we can expect that whole portal from Dimension X during the 3rd act of the film.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by TigerClaw

It also mentions that the sky opens up at the end of the movie, so we can expect that whole portal from Dimension X during the 3rd act of the film.

A bit of familiarity with the obviousness of plot building and progression would also tell us that.

[Foombamaroom]

Okay, from what I've seen, this movie looks passable. I WANT this to be good, but I doubt it will be amazing. If it's a fun movie, then sure.

I'm really hoping they're not lying to us about the Turtles being front and center, though. Because if they aren't lying, that already makes this movie 10x better. But again, they said the focus about the first one was brotherhood, but it was about April, so I'm not gonna get too excited.

[pdizzle]

http://collider.com/teenage-mutant-n...stephen-amell/


Heres another take from collider on what was said above

[TigerClaw]

Originally Posted by pdizzle

http://collider.com/teenage-mutant-n...stephen-amell/


Heres another take from collider on what was said above

Cool, hopefully more set reports are posted from the other sites soon, either way they will echo the same things the other reports have said.

This part in Collider's report is interesting.

Alan Ritchson (Raphael) said, “I got to be honest, I was a little nervous about coming back because the first run of this—the first trial run—was pretty tough.” Richtson elaborating by saying that the studio and director Jonathan Liebesman essentially shot “three different versions of the movie, for one movie,” noting that a lot of the mixing of tone and new technology were done on the spot, as opposed to being ironed-out prior.

Here is SuperHeroHype's set visit.
http://www.superherohype.com/feature...visit#/slide/1

[Bry]

Originally Posted by TurtleTitan97

I'll believe it when the reviews come in.

Until then, not buying any of it.

Exactly. These set reports are almost entirely interviews with the cast and the writers/producers. They are 100% commercials, and taking them at face value is incredibly naive. Remember that the same people said much of the same stuff about the last movie, and that didn't turn out anything like the way they sold it.

[TurtleTitan97]

Originally Posted by Bry

Exactly. These set reports are almost entirely interviews with the cast and the writers/producers. They are 100% commercials, and taking them at face value is incredibly naive. Remember that the same people said much of the same stuff about the last movie, and that didn't turn out anything like the way they sold it.

I'm calling it right now, this movie's probably gonna get at least mixed to negative reviews at best.

[TigerClaw]

Here is IGN's set visit.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/12/...of-the-shadows

[plastroncafe]

"Doltish"?

Ugh. I hate incompetent henchmen.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

"Doltish"?

Ugh. I hate incompetent henchmen.

In their defense (I hate having to take this position), but doltish is how Bebop and Rocksteady are traditionally displayed. Only Nick's incarnations portray them as anything close to competent.

But yeah, in most cases, incompetent henchmen is a very outdated trope.

[TigerClaw]

Here is Slashfilm's set visit.
http://www.slashfilm.com/teenage-mut...s-2-set-visit/

[Galactus]

Isn't this all reminiscent of the various set visits with the last movie where all the journalists came away with hugely positive things to say. Even the guy from Latino Review who leaked the Blue Door script said the film was "in good hands".

[TurtleTitan97]

Originally Posted by Galactus

Isn't this all reminiscent of the various set visits with the last movie where all the journalists came away with hugely positive things to say. Even the guy from Latino Review who leaked the Blue Door script said the film was "in good hands".

Yep, it is.

It's like the saying goes, "Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it".