Talk about flogging a dead horse. For a while now people have been trying to get the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES back into multiplexes. The most recent effort was the CG animated film in 2007 which started well but ended up looking like a collection of cut scenes from a videogame.  The latest is from Michael Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes who, not content with ruining a lot of classic horror films, are now turning their eye toward childhood favourites.

For this live-action adaptation they are going back to the grittier, darker roots of the original independent comic book before it was made into a toy and cartoon series. WRATH OF THE TITANS and BATTLE LOS ANGELES director Jonathan Liebesman is now in negotiations to direct the film. The script has already been written by GHOST PROTOCOL writers Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec but the plot remains under wraps.

Personally I have always thought that a darker edge would have gone a long way with the Turtles. The first film from 1990 seemed to have a glimpse of that and then the sequel had Vanilla Ice in it so all hope was lost. The thing is, do people really care anymore? Everyone who remembers the ‘Heroes in a half shell’ at their peak is now in their late 20s or early 30s and more concerned about paying a mortgage. Somehow I can’t see Blackberry messenger suddenly being flooded with teenagers shouting ‘COWABUNGA!’ but we’ll see…

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