March 20th, 2012
04:45 PM ET
Michael Bay: Relax, 'TMNT' fans - I'm building a richer worldFact: You can't just decide that the “Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles” will suddenly become aliens in an upcoming reboot and get away with it quietly. Ticked off “TMNT” fans, including some of the original voice actors, have now forced producer Michael Bay to respond. On Tuesday, the “Transformers” filmmaker published a statement on his website asking the outraged to calm down.
“Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script," Bay wrote. "Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of ‘Ninja Turtles’ to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world." This post comes after he took heat for an announcement he made at the annual Nickelodeon upfront presentation that he was making modifications to the origin story. “Kids are going to believe one day [that] these turtles actually do exist when we are done with this movie,” Bay said last week. “These turtles are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable.” For those not familiar with the beloved comic books/television series/movies, the story goes that four baby turtles mutate into warriors Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello after they fall into a sewer and hit radioactive ooze. So now, from what we can infer, these pizza-loving mutant turtle crime-fighters are becoming edgy aliens? You bet your nunchucks that didn’t sit well with fans. “I am looking forward to Michael Bay remaking Care Bears except they'll be indifferent and also technically walruses,” Bruce Arthur, a National Post sports columnist, tweeted. “In the new ‘TMNT’ Movie, the turtles all have gluten allergies and have to eat specialty pizza prepared by their mom,” user YuckyBot tweeted. Even voice actor Robbie Rist, who voiced Michelangelo, penned a letter to Bay, which he published on his Facebook timeline. “I know believing in mutated talking turtles is kinda silly to begin with but am I supposed to be led to believe there are ninjas from another planet?” Rist wrote. So did “TMNT” fans follow Bay’s advice to “chill” and let go? Of course not. No self-respecting “TMNT” fan would. “Michael Bay wants angry ‘TMNT’ fans to ‘relax.’ You know who else seemed relaxed? The guys waiting for the premiere of ‘The Phantom Menace,’” author Blake Northcott tweeted. What do you think about Bay’s "TMNT" changes? Are fans overreacting? And who do you think should be cast in the movie? Let us know in the comments section. Cowabunga!
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WHAT ABOUT SPLINTER??!!??!!??
IS HE GOING TO BE AN ALIEN RAT TOO?????!!!!!????????
HOW EXACTLY DOES THAT WORK?!?!?!?!?!?!? THE TWO SPECIES ON THEIR PLANET ARE RATS AND TURTLES?!?!?!?!?!
MR. BAY MUST HAVE BEEN SMOKING SOME PRETTY GOOD @%!$ WHEN HE CAME UP WITH ALL OF THIS.
How in the hell does he think he can get away with this?
They are MUTANTS!!!!!!! ITS IN THE FREAKING NAME OF THE COMIC FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!!!!!!
TMNT SOUNDS A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN TANT!!!!!!!!!!
This is ridiculous. Michael Bay is going to ruin it. I mean its understandable that the turtles may come from space and you could change their whole origin, but what doesn't work is making them ninjas from space. Ninjitsu is something that has been proven to have started on the earth and if he is trying to make this story as realistic as possible, then that doesn't make sense that aliens are familiar with ninjutsu or even wielding weapons like nun chucks bo staffs sais and swords. Because if an alien race was to come to the planet they would be advanced enough to realize that these weapons are primitive and unrealistic to use when they could much rather use phasers or something of the sort. So, based on that, the ninja turtles origin should not change to being aliens, but rather, continue as they originally were.
if you can't take the jokes then you can't take blogging therefore you may be too sensitive for this blog -
people cannot grab all the attention and be butt of jokes all the time....if you cannot be the butt of the jokes
like we are then people need to leave the blogs.
MICHAEL BAY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!? HONESTLY I LIKE YOU BUT DO NOT RUIN TMNT LIKE THIS. WHY DO THEY EVEN HAVE TO BE ALIENS? WHY CANT YOU JUST GO WITH THEIR ORIGINAL BACKGROUND STORY. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. SURE YOU WANT MORE BACKGROUND STORY. YOU COULD JUST ELABORATE A BACKGROUND STORY. DO NOT RUIN TMNT FOR ME IT'S MY CHILDHOOD.
Ok,I've watch the cartoon already,and I LOVE IT!but hearing this alien thingy,just makes me say no to it..I mean,don't you have anything else in mind than this alien thing?You can do better than that!Note to self:This post is from a 12 year old kid!!so we know what we like and what we dont like,..I've never watched the original series before,but I think you could help me know who they really are,and thank you...I'll support you but if this show made me unhappy,I'm not watching it...I'll see this alien thing,and hoping you prove me wrong,...Im waiting Michael.....Again,thanks for the show! I love it!
I hate you Michael Bay. I hate your guts for ruining the turtles forever.
I think the problem here is that fans of old novels and films are too used to the old way of doing things. Original fans need to embrace variety and creativity instead of expect every new film to be an exact copy of the old with new FX. Everyone's stuck on the old motto "if it aint broke dont fix it", but do we as fans really want to deprive producers and ourselves of ingenuity and vision. Producers create films for the fans, but they also create films because they have a revelation they would like to share with the fans. I embrace the idea of a change to the story-line.
So instead of the ooze mutating four turtles and a rat, we have 4 aliens that LOOK like tutles, and one alien that LOOKS like a rat? Sorry, I would stick to the ooze. Mutating things is what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Tutles is about. Teenage Turtle-Like Ninja Aliens?
Teenage Alien Interstellar Ninja Turltes!
TMNT was my absolute favorite thing in my childhood - still have all my action figures. I think the other fans getting bent out of shape is ridiculous. There if very little known about the "ooze" that mutated the turtles. I think Bay might play on that to (as he stated) make a richer back story as the origin of the ooze and perhaps it's purpose / side effects / origin. Whomever is responsible for the ooze may have a vested interest in eliminating the turtles and destroying all evidence related to the ooze... I say, FANS, let's chill out and HOPE that Bay doesn't screw this one up... But I don't see anything to get bent out of shape about yet!
Don't worry folks. Michael Bay will do for TMNT what he did for Transformers. So how bad can it be?;)
Bay is only good at blowing things up so why doesn't he just go blow himself. I'll chill when his name is off the project.
EASTMAN!! LAIRD!!! STOP THIS MADNESS FROM HAPPENING!!!!!
Ok, seriously fan boys calm down...This is going to be a great movie. Better than anything i've done..As your generation would say,...."u mad bro?" lol Get on my level.
I am very curious what Eastman and Laird have to say about this. I will admit..if they give it a thumbs up.. i might be more inclined to see this movie. Ok Michael Bay... you get this ONE mistake... if you make any more... we WILL lynch you.
To the new generation you know nothing about the old school classic's so if u got somthing to back up go right ahead and it better be a good one, to the old generation TMNT is an old school EPIC cartoon show/ magazine ERA it must live on forever BY THE ORIGINAL STORYLINE!!!! and that goes for all the old school cartoon shows and shows....and to BAY... bro your S**TS WACK go stick that s**t to the new generation with all that CGI CRAP we dont want you in our era, even thou our era is dieing slowly we still hold dear to it... so dont touch anything old school PLZ.......
actually if you go by the "original story" the ooze that created the turtles was made by aliens. Look up "Ultrom". Hence them the turtles being of alien origin.
Facts,check em out.
Boycott? Didn't I read that when transformers came out? That so happened......I grew up with the turtles, so of he wants to change the story let him. Who freaking cares, its a.movie. of you don't like it, pirate it. Sheshhh there is more important things happenening in the world than worrying about this garbage.....
The great thing about this if Nickelodeon approves of Bay's script it will bomb so bad and the studio will lose so much money because of the fan rebellion/boycott. It will be a severe black eye to Bay's career that he will never recover from.
I don't want to live on this world anymore.... :<
I haven't seen the Transformers movies, and I won't see this movie either.
I hate when directors think they know what fans want better than the actual fans. When you make the turtles an alien race you take away their uniqueness, I mean are we to believe there is a whole planet(s) of an evolved turtle species. Sure it opens up story lines but not the kind the fans are looking for. He should just stick to blowing things up (just not in movies). He already ruined my fond childhood memories of Transformers, now he is going to ruin TMNT as well.
Unless they are made by the TCRI aleins that its ok, because in the comics it is there waste that falls into the sewers and makes TMNT..........
Just Call it Teenage Alien Intellegence Ninja Turtles – TAINT......perfect
Now all the TMNT fans will feel the pain of what he's done to TRUE transformers fans.
I hope the Armageddon asteroid lands on him!
ANT alien ninja turtles. Why not just make it a new movie, fans hate it when you mess up the storyline.
I have never seen my boyfriend go from ecstatic to furious so quickly as when he read the news about the tmnt movie. It is still a touchy subject that we try to avoid mentioning.
How did I get here? People are angry over a bunch of cartoon turtles? Really?
"We are just building a richer world."
Translation – I am adding as many explosions as possible.
The point is simply, Micheal Bay, please stick to original stories, scripts and plots. PLEASE stop remaking or movie-making 80's cartoons and shows. As for Hollywood in general; there is essentially no reason to change these stories. It's funny how those stories stood up fine for themselves in the 80's, and while the older fans will would enjoy an update, even a revisit to a childhood memory; newer fans will fall in love with those stories for the exact same reasons the older fans did.
Next ol spider man will shoot web nut out of is wrists instead of web slingers.... oh wait... they Effed that too..... Leave stuff alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'Thundercats' will be next. But instead of aliens from another dimension, they will be mutated house cats.
loz
The idea of cute, helpless, little pet shop style turtles that can grow and train into powerful forces for good and justice is central to the themes of the show and a vision of empowerment for the millions of children that grew up with the show.
Take that away and you have robbed both the show and the children of something more important then anything else, wonder and empowerment.
This is the dumbest move ever. Anyone old enough to even care about the turtles wants the old-school story. The kids these days are just going to be like, "Teenage Mutant Wha??? I think my Granpa used to watch that or something." I'll wager this will be even worse than the new star wars flicks.
Quickest way to destroy a franchise. Get Michael Bay involved. I guess itt wasn't enough to ruin Transformers. The worst f***ing "filmmaker" in the history of film.
Michael Bay – Please stick to your CGI explosions and leave the story telling to the professionals!
We haven't read the script... hehe that's funny. Maybe the script will be what saves this one, instead of destroying it like usual. I guess I'll never know because I'm not gonna pay to find out.
Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles, Michale Bay, MUTANT – not alien. These are home-grown, sewer-dwelling, butt-kicking monsters. No "panspermia" adaptations for me, thank you very much.
Michael Bay needs to catch flesh eating bacteria. What a putz.
Yes, that's who you want to upset. THE FANS.
sooo what I'm hearing is that walking, talking, sword-wielding TURTLES are NOT aliens? is that right? LOL
Drop him and turd in a vat of radioactive ooze and see what comes of it.
What a second time? This has clearly already happened.
i wouldnt pay to see this atrocities like this is what pirate bay is for
Pirate Bay. Isn't that Michael's nick name. Destroying entire franchises for his own personal gain!
Oh he's making a richer world alright... for himself that is.
So I guess they can't call it TMNT anymore. (Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles)
Teenage Alien Intraterestrial Ninja Turtles (TAINT)
Chidhood memories? Are you like 18 years old?
It`s all about the money! Bay is a SMMM, which stands for Story Mutator Movie Maker. He Mutated Transformers, which made me, as a G1 Fan, very sad indeed. He doesn`t care about the content of his movies. No Plot? No Problem, just patch it up with lots of Computer Generated Imagery. Still no good? How about more Camera shaking? Yeah now put in some 3D and a hot Babe and start milking the Brainless crowd of their $.
As for the Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles... Since Bay wants to mutate the Story anyway... Put in some Nazis with flying disks in there. Oh and lot`s of blood, since "we kids" grew up right? How about for every bodypart a different color (good thing for the merchandising too). And last but not least: a female Turtle with a slippy Shell. Let`s call her Bertha. No wait let`s call her Bay...
the live action turtle movie sucked!!!! all you whining cry babies need to shut up and just accept the fact that you have no say! until you get the capital to buy the rights to your favorite toys and cartoons from the eighties just shut up!!! all three transformers movies were the sxxt and i am totally convinced Bays take on the gay ass turtles will be more awesome than anything the turtles have doen in their whole rich history of existence!!! babies!!!
How is this movie ruining childhood memories? You still have your original cartoon show and comic books, go back to that if you want to get nostalgic, otherwise, quit whining about a movie you haven't seen.
It is rediculous how someone would change a classic in persuit of money. Even if he does remake this wonderful series he should not change their design at all because that would ruin the whole persona of the teenage mutant ninja turtles. Mr. Bay please stick to destroying things and making giant robots fight each other, but even with that fact im interested to see what he will attempt to do.
FORGET CGI!!! BRING BACK COSTUMES!!!
And I agree Michael Bay is a hack.
Just awful....boycott this guy's movies ASAP. Richer story? Like the non existant plot in all of the Transformers movies? Please don't ruin a classic, just make the turtles mutants.
Will someone please kill Michael Bay so he stops ruining cinema! He is such a hack and needs to stay as far away from a script as possible. Stick with your senseless explosions and CGI on your other crappy movies and leave TMNT alone!
I'm not usually impressed with Bay films in general, but I don't hate the guy. However, this isn't just a simple plot change to make a 'richer world'. This is the very basis of the story! Our four turtles and Splinter all changed (MUTATED) in the same way. Splinter trained them based on a strong, disciplined and beautiful Earth culture. By making them aliens you lose the integrity of the story and disrespect that culture. If it ain't broke it don't need fixin'!
If I ever get a chance to meet this guy...I'm going to punch him in the face.
I have killed for less.
the only thing that he did good was the island.
Everything else he ruined. Transformers was too much about the humans and just too emo and ruined it. Sure it was flashy and looked good, but the story.. oh god... And where the hell is unicron and the dinobots and constructobots?
Take a hint from their name Mr Bay, they are Teenage mutant ninja turtles not Teenage alien ninja turtles!!!!
Lets just rewrite the bible now Michael Bay to make Jesus a little "richer"
I think that has been done already.
OH THE HUMANITY!!! WHY GOD WHY!!! Please smite him where he stands before he rapes the TMNT!
He cant change what we already know, they are Mutant Ninja Turtles, whats next? the movie will be called "teenage alien ninja turtles" ???? WHAT A JOKE
We're mad because we actually grew up with this stuff and now someone wants to change the original story just because he's hired to make a movie out of it. Yes, some "artistic liberties" can be taken, but changing the whole backstory is too much. That's like changing Superman from being an alien from Krypton to being a normal human being and magically getting powers. Sure, it might work, but it's not what we all grew up reading about.
lol you guys are SO mad
MICHAEL BAY – LEAVE MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES ALONE: Why can't you see it's already a good storyline – stop bloody messing with it or it'll be crap crap crap.
“Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script,"-– Ya cause I forgot how deep and "well scripted" his other movies were.... oh wait....
Oh, so Micheal bay decided he isn't going to make a TMNT movie?
That's a relief.
I fail to see the need to make the origin story of four turtles who become ninjas any more complex than they and their master falling into radioactive slime and MUTATING. That is the key problem with the idea of them being aliens. The M stands for MUTANT, hence why they originate from mutated turtles, not space. Learn to think logically you complete hack.
Mr Bay, it's the fans that make a movie successful. What you mean to say is "I don't give a crap, I am here to make money and don't give a damn who I offend doing it". The only reason why a director changes things like this, is due to their lack of confidence in doing the original format any justice.
I agree!!!
I wouldnt pay to go see it,but I would consider watching this movie,give it a chance.
You all forget that Transformers sucked and was Illogical to begin with,and about TMNT and Micheal Bay ruining them?
Can you honestly say that after the second movie?Ninja rap anyone?
No one shot vanilla ice yet.I think hes in the witless protection program
TMNT 2 was a CLASSIC....."Go Ninja, go Ninga, GO!". Can't get much better then that.
Thank you Michael Bay for ruining the last piece of nostalgia I have left from my childhood. I cant wait to see how you f*** up the TMNT's with your terrible CGI and crap plot. Thank you so much you d***.
Michael Bay is a JOKE. And anyone that actually pays to go see this crap is a bumbling idiot that supports him.
Michael Bay destroys everything he touches, and I am not referring to the special effects he uses to level cities in an attempt to distract movie-goers from the horrible plot/dialogue they are forced to endure.
Maybe he should play himself as the villain in his next Transformers crap fest. I might even be able to withstand 2+ hours of monotonous explosions to see Optimus do away with him. Aww, who am I kidding...I would still wait for that to come to Blu Ray and just fast forward to the end.
Or he could play Shredder, as in "shredding all that is good about an original creation to make it his own CG conveyer belt sludge.". Horrible joke but still.
You don't have to be a fan of Mr. Bay, but for the people that say he screws up everything he touches. Your a moron, I bet you have seen everything he has done! Not to mention Armageddon was a movie with a great story, Bad Boys, The Rock, Pearl Harbor all excellent movies not to mention transformers. Although, i can agree im not sure how this alien thing is going to play into the movie and im not sure i agree with it, being a huge fan. But in case you didnt read, he is working with the creators of the TMNT. So If they dont have a problem with it then maybe we should be jumping on them, not the producer or director for following the vision of the creators of the story. So before we go to crazy lets learn more and do more research. Just saying
So you're an award winning director of blockbuster, record setting, box office movies too? I'm glad you shared your opinion about a career field that you are an expert in...