October 21, 2009 | by Scott Miller 

‘TMNT’ Bought by Nickelodeon, New Movie & TV Show Coming

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According to Variety, the global rights to our “heroes in the half-shell” were picked up by Nickelodeon, a division of Viacom, for $60MM from Mirage Group and 4Kids Entertainment.  Nickelodeon will begin developing a new CG-animated (think Toy Story, not Disney’s Robin Hood) TV series packed with turtle power to begin airing in 2012.  Paramount Pictures (also owned by Viacom) will be putting the Turtles back on the big screen in 2012 as well.

Scott Mednick, executive producer of Where the Wild Things Are is set to produce the new film. Nickelodeon will be working with its regular co-collaborator, Playmate Toys, on action-figures, etc.

For those who knew no joy as children, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the focus of comic books, tv shows, films, toys, lunch-boxes, Halloween costumes, etc., etc., with a global following at the height of their popularity in the late ’80s and early ’90s.  The adolescent, anthropomorphic crime-fighters used their martial arts skills to beat up on bad guys and creatively devour pizza, while staying out of society’s way in the New York City sewers.  Now that I think about it, a certain HBO comedy also followed four archetypal characters through their New York adventures, substituting cabs for sewers, cosmos for pizza and you-know-what for ninjitsu – man, what hasn’t TMNT influenced?  The turtle empire originally spawned from a comic book created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, which was published by Mirage Studios way back in 1984.

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If you really wanna scare yourself, look up Viacom’s assets.  Along with Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures, it owns MTV, Comedy Central, BET, VH1 and the video game developers behind the Rock Band phenomenon, Harmonix.  They’re probably negotiating right now for the exclusive rights to use your legs.  The CW4Kids programming block that airs on Saturday mornings currently features a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated TV series and will continue to run the show through August, 2010.

I, for one, wish the guys would come back looking like they used to.  Anyone else nostalgic, or is the world ready for a new look to these familiar characters?

The once and future Ninja kings will rise again in 2012.

Source: Variety

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  • April
    I'm with you on being nostalgic. The first two movies were the best. If the franchise comes backlike those two movies then I'm all for it.
  • Josh Rose
    There were rumors a while back about another live-action Turtles movie. Does this confirm or deny that?

    I don't care what they do on TV, so by all means, make a new CG series. But if they're making another movie, they need to go the live-action route again.
  • Paul Young
    I hope they bring back Vanilla Ice too.
  • Lee-Unit
    Agree 100% about the nostalgia. I used to watch the old TV show and it was awesome. Liked the first two movies also. I think this is good, because I had no intention to watch the stuff they've had the last few years. But if they have to make the TV show CG, at least bring back the old theme song. That HAS to come back.
  • gk
    As long as they dont differ too far form the comic and keep the comedy down just a little I'll be fine. As long as they dont make it like Ninja turtles I'll be great
  • IQ
    Anyone else wishing for the old-school live action guys-in-sutes TMNT full with campy fun? No, only me?
  • Lily
    @ IQ

    I am absolutely with you about the old-school live action guys in suits!!!! I LOVE those movies, and I am not ashamed to say I have them on DVD and watch them frequently!!!

    They're teenage mutant ninja turtles, they are supposed to be campy and fun and just plain enjoyable. Not some violent dark remake.

    @Paul Young

    Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!!! Ninja Rap!!!!
  • Matt Haggard
    @ Lily

    Technically, the campy turtles were a remake of the violent and dark original story.

    So here's to hoping they'll take the turtles back to their Eastman and Laird roots.
  • chrisj
    Im really hoping that next film will be live-action just as the first two films were. The first film will always be my favorite and i loved Shredder's helmet look in the 2nd film, especially when he became Super Shredder. As a kid i was expecting Rocksteady and BeBop but i didnt mind the idea of Toka & Razor as replacements. Mostly Leonardo was my favorite turtle but in the 1st & 3rd films, Corey Fieldman did a awesome job as Donatello's voice.
  • ORI
    I'm with you that they need to return to how they originally looked in the first show.

    Why can't they just make the cartoon similar in art style to the original TMNT show's art work I loved when I was a kid. Just brushen up the line work and animation a bit and they got an awesome show. I'm sick of all this CG crap.
  • i like their '80s cartoon appearance the best.
  • ~Nancy~
    My favorite look is the Eastman & Laird comics look. (Don't think it was ever used on screen.) The OLD black & white comics, where they weren't "color coded" (I think they all wore red...) The moody, thoughtful Raphael just makes me crazy :-P I didn't notice them until the show, though, in 1989. I bought my kids ALL 8 action figures that Christmas. (How many hundred variations are there now???) I still love them and EVERY TMNT t-shirt in the house is MINE!!!
    - looking forward to more -
    !! Maybe they can get Corey Feldman to do one of the voices again !!!
  • DV5500
    Everyone here is basically saying they want a remake of a past version. I hate to break it to you, but they aren't going to do that, this will likely be a whole new thing. However I personaly liked both the new and old series. I liked the old because it was colorful and entertaining, which was fun for me. But I liked the new series because it was darker like ninja stories should be and stuck closer to the comic plot. What I really want to see now is a anime style TMNT series, that's for mature audiences, so they can include the mild profanity and blood that was in the original comic.
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