Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - the 2014 version - wasn’t expected to hit big.
I know what youre thinking; John Fusco, theALFguy?, but thats actually Paul Fusco.
John Fusco had just written marital arts movieThe Forbidden Kingdomand had previously penned bothYoung Gunsfilms.
In its way,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleshad always been a bit punk rock.
It was created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, who retained control over it for 25 years.
Finally, after 25 years, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael had jobs.
Only the cartoon would stick to that schedule.
Here at Den Of Geek,we love that cartoon very much.
The following year, in May 2010,Deadlinerevealedthat Michael Bays production company Platinum Dunes would make the newTurtlesfilm.
In August 2010,The Wrapapparentlysent a spyinto Paramount to take a stab at crack their AOL password.
The email seemed to confirm Fuscos departure and is quoted as saying Fusco draft not great.
Looking for another writer to come on this quickly as its a huge Viacom property.
It was really interesting, but it was maybe a little too edgy for what Paramount wanted.
Den Of Geek would like to read that script.
Screenwriters Art Marcum and Matt Holloway werebrought in to script the film.
Its also possible that Appelbaum and Nemec are total pizza monsters and it just made sense to everyone.
In February 2012, they announced that theyd settled on Jonathan Liebesman.
If you tilt your head at the right angle, you could see how Liebesman would make sense.
He directed bothBattle: Los AngelesandWrath Of The Titansand so had experience making slightly cheaper blockbusters, asTurtleswould be.
Still, the selection of Liebesman was viewed by some as disheartening.
A month after that, it all kicked off.
Michael Bayspoke about the film.
Bays track record of speaking about films isnt top notch.
He referred to the Turtles as aliens, suggesting a significantly altered backstory.
The title would quietly change back toTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesshortly before release.
The film was delayed in June, pushed back by 10 weeks.
But whats 10 weeks between friends?
Or enemies, in this instance.
Whats ten weeks between furious enemies?
It should be highlighted that the script had no business being online.
It was presented without context.
The finished articles are never meant to contain poetry.
It is hugely unfair to a writer for their work in progress to be published without their consent.
Bay dismissed the script as something that saw the shredder a long time ago.
Sorry I did the shell-shocked pun there.
Traditionally a Japanese character named Oroku Saki, Liebesmans film would rename the character Eric Sacks.
Hed be played by William Fichtner.
This suggested further alterations to the Turtles origin and raised concerns of Hollywood whitewashing of Asian roles.
The movie was then shot.
It also brought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Noses meme to its logical conclusion.
Shortly after that trailer further behind the scenes difficulties became apparent.
A couple of last minute voice recastings would see Tony Shalhoub announced as the new voice of Splinter.
Johnny Knoxville also joined the cast as the voice of Leonardo.
This recasting was stranger.
Knoxvilles voice replaced that of physical performer Pete Ploszec.
The addition of Knoxville was not followed by any further recasting.
And that was that.
Strike softly and fade away.
But thats not what happened.
It would hold the spot for two weeks.
It wound up finishing with just below $500m from around the world.
Signs of the troubled production can be spotted easily in the film.
The character Shredder looks to have been clumsily separated from Fichtners Sacks late in the day.
just see pictures below of both Sacks house and Times Square skyscraper, both of which he already owns.
There are hints of a better story in there, too.
Unfortunately, Sacks motivation changed and if the payoff ever existed, it no longer fit the film.
I have yet to put together any kind of explanation for the My shell is tightening line, though.
Goodness, that line is awful.
Interviews since the release have offered insight into what went wrong.
So were having a steak dinner, we have a martini each and Im texting Drew.
Then he goes to the bathroom.
I go to the bathroom.
Hes at the urinal and [I say], We are in so much fing trouble!
I write Paramount, Guys, we have a serious problem.
We need funny writers right now.
Because the pipeline has to keep going.
We really had to get that tone right.
Alan Ritschon, who plays Raphael, said theres a whole other movie on the cutting room floor.
A question about the difference between departed director Jonathan Liebesman and newcomer David Green prompts a particularly interesting response.
Jeremy Howard, who plays Donatello responded with simply kindness.
As the discussion progresses, they do have more positive things to say about Liebesman.
The success of the first film seems unlikely.
Its like, er, its… Alright, I dont have an ending for this article.
And sorry Michael Bay, I cant think of anything that rhymes with Liebesman.
