Seth Rogen gives new insight into tapping into personal nostalgia and love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when crafting the new animated movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics debuted in 1984, and the franchise grew to include toys, animation, video games, and eventually live-action films. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will be the first animated movie in the franchise since TMNT and will be an origin story rebooting the films.

While talking to Screen Rant about The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Rogen shares exciting insights into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. He breaks down the importance of personal nostalgia and how adaptations have evolved over time. Rogen also explains how casting teenage actors as the turtles brings a unique feeling to the animated movie. Check out what Rogen has to say about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem below:

I think it's putting a lot of thought into making a better version of it, [and] even then, people are projecting [what] it's going to be and at the same time giving them everything that they hope it's going to have. And I think that's something that, honestly, we've gotten better at over the years, and I've seen a lot of friends do it, and I've been a part of it a few times. I think maybe early on our instincts maybe [were], "Let's subvert it; let's make it really different." And I think you do have to create something that's original, exciting, and creatively unique, but at the same time, it has to give people what they're really hoping they get from this stuff.

With Ninja Turtles, it was really trying to honor everything I always loved about it [while] trying to infuse something new and exciting into it. And luckily for us, no one had ever used actual teenagers before, and something very intuitive became something that really opened up our version; it feels like it makes it feel very unique. Things like that, I think, are exciting ways to get into this stuff.

How Teenagers Playing The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sets Mutant Mayhem Apart

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem still featuring April O'Neill standing while the Turtles look at her

Casting teenagers brings a new authenticity to the characters who, up until now, have been played, both in animation and live-action, by adults. To bring the genuine chaotic energy of teenagers, Rogen made it a point to have Nicolas Cantu, Shamon Brown Jr., Micah Abbey, and Brady Noon record their lines in the booth together, leaning heavily on their natural chemistry and improvisation. The dynamic sets Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem apart from the other films and series.

Related: How TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Is Continuing 1 Odd Villain Trend

Instead of falling into the trap of subverting expectations, Rogen is leaning into what makes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles great. Tapping into the difficult balance of capturing what fans already love about the brand while still bringing something exciting and new. The supporting cast of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is full of impressive actors, including Jackie Chan, Giancarlo Esposito, Paul Rudd, John Cena, and even Rogen himself.

Rebooting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise with a stacked cast, unique animation, and teenage actors sets the stage for an exciting evolution as the main cast grows with the turtles. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is created by fans of the original franchise, which gives them a deeper understanding than someone who didn't grow up loving these stories. This appreciation for the original IP allowed Rogen and his team to bring the best aspects of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the forefront, which sparked the idea of casting teenagers, which could prove to be the key to the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

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