The announcement that Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes would be rebooting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie franchise has always faced harsh criticism from those who feel the words “Platinum Dunes” and “Michael Bay” are synonymous with wholesale slaughter of sacred cinematic cows.
Even TMNT co-creator Peter Laird had harsh things to say when a supposed script for the re-branded Ninja Turtles surfaced – one in which the characters origins had drastically revised into a sci-fi opera about extraterrestrial beings. Whereas Laird’s former collaborator Kevin Eastman is supporting the Ninja Turtles reboot, Laird has been pretty forthcoming with his displeasure – including casting Megan Fox as April O’Neil the spunky reporter who befriends the warrior turtle gang.
Laird took to his personal blog recently, and had this to say regarding the Megan Fox issue:
“My only exposure to Megan Fox as an actress is through her role in two “Transformers” movies and the wretched (but happily forgettable) “Jennifer’s Body”. It may not be fair to judge her range of acting skills just from those three movies, but I think it is safe to say that there are probably hundreds of better choices for the role of April O’Neil. Of course, her name has promotional value, and maybe that’s what they want. Who knows? I can’t get myself too worked up about it.”
Just so we’re clear: Peter Laird has no say or control over what happens with this new film – so if you’re counting on him to be the sane man in the room who helps this project somehow avoid what looks to be impending disaster… your faith is in the wrong place. Laird’s well-measured words DO have the power to rile up the most ardent fans – who will likely point to this case as “evidence” that the Platinum Dunes crew are (once again) ‘screwing up their childhood.’ After all, if one of the TMNT creators doesn’t like it…
The most interesting thing about all of this is watching the almost bi-polar divergence in opinion between the two men who first created TMNT. Between Eastman’s impassioned defense of Ninja Turtles and Laird’s figurative sighs of disappointment (see above), one begins to wonder if one party isn’t more responsible than the other for the property’s transformation from an imaginatively gritty and violent series of comics, to the over-milked, bubble-gum-flavored cash-cow it has become over the years. Not sayin’, just sayin’…
Do you agree with Laird that there are ‘hundreds of better choices’ than Megan Fox for the role of April O’Neil, or do you think having America’s premiere piece of eye candy back in the hands of Bay is match made in heaven?
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Ninja Turtles flies into theaters on June 6th, 2014.
Source: Peter Laird (via CBM)
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I have no complaints. Let Michael Bay waste his money. Only kids will want to see it and not cool ones either so, who cares? The live action trilogy, the first six episodes of the original cartoon and the TMNT four-player arcade game back in the day is all you need. Michael Bay is throwing Megan Fox a heck of a bone though considering and I forgive him for that. Bill Murray and Mickey Rourke wanted to work with her so, well they are old horn dogs so I guess that is not a good example, but good for her, hopefully lightening does strike twice, but not with this turd of a movie. Let Bay blow his Bay dollars.
peter laird is a talentless hack who created almost nothing and just ruined the comics with his lack of creativity and refusal to use beloved characters from the cartoon and archie series just because they were all created by people more talented than him.
he is also not very fond of attractive women…he got rich and married a zero and eastman got rich and married his favorite blue movie softcore porn star.
megan fox is the best choice by far, she can act just as good as anyone else that could be up for the role,and she is far more attractive.
Laird is a fool…his idea’s barely sold 1500 comics a month, idw and eastman sell well over 10,000 books a month.
nickelodeon is more in touch with fans, Laird’s fans all retards who dont contribute to society,have legit psychiatric issues, and should all live in caves…so who cares if they show up to the theaters or not.
true comic fans, and the straight fans that loved body count and enjoy the current idw stuff as well as images volume 3 will all accept and love this movie.
if the retro bandwagon riding hipsters don’t like it, that’s great, nobody needs them in the theater either.
on a side note…there are no sexy redheads that can do the job, i’d hire jane levy if i wanted an april that looks like the current cartoon… but she is just known for her cuteness…. everyone wanted a sexy april and now they have one….were all you people hating on the last 4 spider-man movies as well when they made redheads into blondes and an average looking blonde into a redhead?
just be happy they didnt make her black or hispanic.
Awesome! I couldn’t have said it any better. “retro bandwagon riding hipters” I love it!
I meant to say Hipsters.