The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have grown into one of the most iconic comic book franchises of all time. While there are many different adaptations of these heroes, for many fans, nothing has ever topped the 1990 live-action movie that brought Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo to the big screen for the first time.
Some aspects of the film might seem quite dated to modern fans, but it remains a beloved adventure with these characters that blew the minds of young fans when it was released. A lot went on behind the scenes to create this adventure that still has so many fans three decades later.
Inspiration From The Animated Series
The first ideas of how to transform the Ninja Turtles comic book into a movie began bubbling in the 1980s. However, with the success of the cartoon series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which premiered in 1987, there was even more interest in the franchise.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmakers saw both versions of the brand to be the ideal balance to aim for with the movie. They felt the comic book was a little too dark and violent, but could incorporate the family-friendly tone of the show. The movie even borrowed elements from the series, including the now iconic colored headbands for each turtle.
Howard The Duck's Failure Nearly Ended It
Despite the success of the comic books and the cartoon series, there was little interest among major studios to make a Ninja Turtles movie. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, producer Kim Dawson, executives found the idea of the pitch to be ridiculous.
One major factor in this poor reception was the recent release of Howard the Duck which was a movie failure before becoming a cult classic. The idea of making another comic book movie with a hero in a rubber suit seemed like a very bad idea.
Jim Henson's Work On The Turtles
Creating the suits for the turtles was ground-breaking kind of work and it was clear there was only one man capable of pulling it off. Jim Henson, the visionary creator of the Muppets was brought in to create the turtle costumes complete with animatronic heads.
Henson and his team did brilliant work which called for some of the most elaborate things done through Henson's Creature Shop movies. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Henson nearly didn't participate in the movie as he was worried about the violence of the movie.
Cameos From The Physical Actors
While the turtle costumes were the creation of Jim Henson and his team, it also took some dedicated actors to bring them to life. The actors who performed the physical role of the turtles had to endure hours in the hot, uncomfortable costumes. As a small reward, they were given small cameos outside of the costumes.
Josh Pais, who plays Raphael, plays a taxicab passenger. Michelan Sisti, who plays Michaelangelo, plays the pizza delivery man. Leif Tilden, who plays Donatello, and David Forman, who plays Leonardo, play Foot clan members.
Judith Hoag As April
Though not a member of the heroic foursome, April O'Neill is a key character in the story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She is a human news reporter who discovers the turtles and becomes their ally in the fight against evil.
Judith Hoag was cast in the role of the main human hero in the movie. In an interview with Variety, Hoag admitted she was unhappy with the production and was particularly displeased with her costume. As a result, she was not asked to return for the sequels.
Ghostbusters And Batman Were Influences
Bringing director Steve Barron on board turned out to be an essential part of figuring out the tone of the movie. Along with recognizing the potential hybrid of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and the cartoon series, Barron identified some great movies to serve as inspiration.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Barron saw Batman and Ghostbusters as achieving the tone that he wanted to strike with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He sought to have the kind of comic book sense of humor and fun while still allowing there to be real peril.
Josh Pais As Raphael
While the rest of the Ninja Turtles are portrayed by two actors, one physical performer, and one voice performer, Josh Pais was the only one who had the opportunity to play both the physical role and provide the voice.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it was Pais' idea to give Raphael a Brooklyn accent. The physical aspect of the role was not as easy. Pais suffers from claustrophobia and found the costume to be not ideal for his condition.
Help From Robin Williams
Despite the idea of mutant turtles becoming ninjas, these characters had become very popular, and not just with children. One notable fan of the franchise was Hollywood star and legendary comedian Robin Williams, who had a slight involvement with the film.
Speaking at a comic expo, Hoag revealed she was preparing for the role of April while making Cadillac Man with Williams. When he found out, he provided Hoag with a ton of information about the character to help her prepare.
Ground-Breaking Box Office Success
Nowadays, comic book films are the biggest genre in Hollywood, and it seems like every property is getting its own movie. However, the genre was not as popular in 1990 which made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a big risk.
After every major studio turned them down, it was decided that the film would be made as an independent film. It managed to defy expectations and became the highest-grossing independent film of all time until it was unseated nearly a decade later by The Blair Witch Project.
Roger Corman's Pitch
While plenty of studios turned down the opportunity to make the film, one Hollywood legend who was eager to bring the turtles to life with Roger Corman. Known for his low-budget horror films, including the 1994 version of Fantastic Four, Corman pitched several ideas to the franchise creators about how to pull the movie off.
One of his craziest ideas was bringing together popular comedians of the day, Gallagher, Sam Kinison, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Billy Crystal. His idea was to have them wear shells on their backs and paint them green.
A Darker Cut
Despite several fight sequences and an intense villain in the form of Shredder, the movie is still a family-friendly adventure that is suitable for all ages. However, that might not have been the original intention.
According to actor Josh Pais on the podcast I Was There Too, director Steve Barron was fired near the end of production as the producers were concerned the film was too dark. It is unknown what changes Barron's versions may have included to make it darker. Could a "Barron Cut" be released sometime in the future?