Megan Fox became something of a household name after playing Mikaela Banes in Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Unfortunately, she had a very public falling out with director Michael Bay and was immediatey replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whitely in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
Well, it looks like the two have finally made up, because Megan Fox has been cast as April O’Neil in the Bay-produced Ninja Turtles reboot.
Michael Bay made the casting announcement on his blog, saying simply:
TMNT: we are bringing Megan Fox back into the family!
Michael Bay
Let no one say that Michael Bay doesn’t have a way with words.
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter has laid out the details of the reconciliation between Michael Bay and Megan Fox and confirmed that Fox will be playing April O’Neil, the tough-as-nails redheaded reporter and best female pal to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Apparently, director Jonathan Liebesman won Fox over with his awesome storyboards, which probably means she didn’t join the cast because of the screenplay’s complex character development.
It’ll be interesting to see whether or not TMNT fans embrace – or reject – Fox being cast as April O’Neil, especially after the very negative reaction to the leaked script (which Bay claimed was merely an early, terrible draft). She’s certainly not the first actress who springs to mind when thinking about the April O’Neil of the comic books, the cartoons, or the original movie series, and not just because she’s a brunette either. Is Fox’s casting further confirmation that Ninja Turtles will be a major creative departure from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles of yore?
Last we heard, the titular turtles would be aliens instead of mutants, and the antagonists would be a covert military group led by Colonel Shredder. There’s no telling if that’s what we’ll end up seeing when Ninja Turtles finally reaches theaters, but you can probably expect a certain “Bay”-ification of the source material if Fox as April O’Neil is any indication.
In other Ninja Turtles news, the filmmakers are apparently testing actors for the roles of the Ninja Turtles (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael), who will be motion-captured for the big screen. There’s no word on precisely who was tested, but according to THR, they’re “mostly relative unknowns” – which I suppose leaves room for all the Corey Feldman fans out there who are hoping for his return as Donatello.
What do you think, Screen Ranters? Are you happy with the decision to cast Megan Fox as April O’Neil? Drop us a line in the comments.
Ninja Turtles is expected to hit theaters on May 16th, 2014.
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Follow me on Twitter @benandrewmoore.
Sources: Michael Bay Dot Com & The Hollywood Reporter
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GO NINJA GO NINJA GO!
No ninja no ninja no!!!!!
Yep. This movie will be one long, long, CRINGE FEST.
NO!!! this movie has no chance of being good
Someone must have gotten one awesome blowjob. Good Work Megan
LMAO !!!
I think considering the hitler comment, her constant flow of self absorbsed bs not to mention the radioactive wasteland that had become Megan fox career a single Bj wouldn’t cut it. Feels more like starring in his private sex tape collection for the next two decades…
Was thinking the same,guess not just one,the whole package as well!
I dont know what to feel this just keeps getting worse now i wouldn’t bet that anything worse isn’t goin to happen cz eventually it will
How is this movie not going to be terrible?
Its going to be an utter and complete disaster
Hes just laughing at us now, this is the most ridiculous thing iv’e ever heard.. and oh wait that’s WITH them being aliens. Sick to my stomach
This is all terribly terribly dissapointing.
OH MY GOD I actually can;t wait to see this… Come on guys and gals.
It would be like watching a car accident… you want to look away but you can’t.
Just as it’s about to look like it’s all gone to hell… YOU SLAM YOUR EYES SHUT!!!!!!!
…………….
And then when you open your eyes.. you hope… JUST HOPE… that everything will be ok.
Michael Bay has talent directing heavy-action sequences but when it comes to story and characters, he is horrible, for example: the transformers trilogy was visually impressive but the story, continuity, characters, etc were not so great.
more like messy and overwrought action filled with explosions and bad choreography.
Is this an April fools joke?
I thought the same thing! My calendar must be wrong!
There’s no way this is going to be good. NO way at all.
is it april 1st today? it has to be, its the only explanation!
dunno how I feel about Michael Bay being involved, but since he has money and influence, I’m glad Megan Fox has reconciled with him, because I’m actually really pulling for Megan Fox to be a successful actress. A.) she’s beautiful and I definitely don’t mind seeing more of her, and B.) I don’t think she’s been really given a great chance to grow as an actress, but I honestly do think she could have potential. People trash on her way more than is justified. I’m happy she’s been cast as April.
Jeez. This is depressing. Just when you think it can’t get any worse. What’s next, Taylor Lautner as Casey Jones?
http://screenrant.com/taylor-lautner-ninja-turtles-reboot-benk-162123/
Part of me saw this coming…another part of me shouldve tried to stop
I dont care what they do with this, if they do not stick close to the source material it will be a major disaster.
She is hot.
Not sure the world is interested in an actual ninja turtles movie though.
I’m not…but both of my kids are ninja turtle FREAKS! 15 and 9 and they both asked for ninja turtle hoodies for xmas. I think you’re missing the prime audience on this one (kid-ville) which is why I question the casting of Megan Fox.
Megan Fox is the hottest actress I never want to see in a movie..lol
And Corey Feldman was never going to play Donatello, he was going to voice Donatello
Uh, where do we say he was going to “play” him and/or NOT voice him?
Regardless, I don’t think he was ever going to do either – the comment was a little bit facetious.
Thanks Bay. Why don’t you just twist the knife and follow up with “JK! We cast Kristin Stewart”?
A bunch of close minded complainers on here, give the f***ing movie & the actress a chance. It’s not the end of the world, so grow a pair.
If a cat does in a box, I don’t need to open it to see whats inside. I can tell from the smell.
*dies
Avatar_popco, then don’t don’t watch the movie or smell it.
I don’t mind Megan being April I’m concerned about the story and how the characters will be portrayed
I hope they’ll stick to what the turtles are REALLY about and not change them all together so having the turtles as aliens and the shredder as a colonel is a awful and unwise idea thus far
How does this woman keep getting work. Casting couch expert I guess.
She’s terrible.
Oh dear, not Megan Fox – she can’t act and only stays in the media by talking about how she’s bi-curious or whatever and that she’d sleep with Fergie.
Who should they get for the role? EMMA STONE, THAT’S WHO.
Not Emma Stone please!!
and mr bay has messed up the movie even more nice job well done clap clap clap clap
I guess it’s better than casting April Oneil the porn actress (featured on SR geek picks a while ago). Not by much though. Heck, I’m sure there are plenty here that would have preferred her.
I think Megan was okay in the Transformers movie, I don’t know why everyone hated her so much. I think she lack the acting due to the lack of ‘guidance’ from his director. Yes, I blame Bay.
Anyway, I’m okay with her being April but I have to be honest, it’s the direction Bay is taking with his ‘Ninja Turtles’ that worries me so much. I hust hope he won’t ‘ruin’ another of my childhood memories
So what movie was she an amazing actress in?
this is exactly my point. she hasn’t been given a chance to really show much talent because all she’s been cast for is as eye candy. she has fulfilled that part exceptionally well, but I think she could act just fine if she were given the chance and she wanted to be serious about it. and i get the impression, from interviews and stuff, that she has tried to be serious about it but it’s just that no one wants to take her incredibly seriously.
if it turns out that she really can’t act, i’ll eat my words, but i think she deserves a chance. while i’m sure she is probably honest about liking the storyboards and stuff, i have to think that her choosing to do TMNT with Michael Bay is a deliberately strategic move at staying in the lime-light for her career.
but speaking of her doing other roles, she did a good southern prostitute in Jonah Hex and could have done a lot more in that role if she weren’t being cast as just eye candy. And although the movie might not have been great, she did a fine job in Passion Play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL6RIJQ4Sg8
The girl just needs some good work. She does not deserve all the crap she gets.
I don’t care what any of you say – Jennifer’s Body was awesome.
And so was Jonah Hex(cough cough)
She was good in Friends with Kids.
*grabs Michale bay by the shoulders and begins to slap him rapidly*
STOP IT DAMN YOU! STOP THIS CRAZY MADNESS!!!!
Well, that’s it. He’s killed it. Haven’t even seen it, but he’s killed it.
I SIGNED WHO ON TO THIS MOVIE?!?!?!
Why would anyone actually defend Michael Bay? The only reason I can think of is that they haven’t seen any of his movies…
The Rock was a fun flick. At least the guy doesn’t exaggerate his abilities or importance. “I make movies for teenage boys. Oh, dear, what a crime.” – Michael Bay
wah wah wah wah. Fan boys are hilarious. Its just April. You guys act like she was cast as a female Splinter or something. Megan Fox with red hair? Ok by me. Besides if you’re going to a turtles movie focusing on who’s playing April O’Neil, YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG ANYWAY. SLAP YOURSELF.
You do realize that April actually played a vital role in the Turtles franchise right?? Especially as far as the more recent cartoons are considered. She’s gone from a simple reporter who helps them find their legs as their guide in the human world to Batgirl/Oracle over the years. Casting Megan Fox as O’Neil is like casting a doughnut as Lois Lane it just doesn’t work. XD
Considering I grew up with this stuff, I’m fully aware. Are you aware that fanboys focusing on who’s playing April O’Neil is the WRONG WAY to watch anything related to the turtles? Why people are saying Amy Adams or Emma Stone? C’mon man, stop it yall lol. You guys are over valuing the role of April O’Neil for a CGI action movie. Let’s calm it down until there is a teaser trailer, at the least.
The movies gonna focus on her or have you not watched the transformers films and wondered why the hell the films focused around shia labeouf and NOT THE TRANSFORMERS.
So pardon us for not being joyed at this news that turtles movie will consist mostly of porny shots of her and superficial acting as opposed to actual characterization that actually make her likeable.