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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem may be the latest in a long line of titles within the beloved animated franchise, but it doesn't necessarily take all of its predecessors into account, says writer-director Jeff Rowe.
In the new issue of Total Film magazine, which is out on newsstands on Thursday, June 22, the filmmaker reveals that the new movie features its own version of TMNT lore, and explains why it was necessary "to make it more logical".
Rowe, who helmed the flick with Kyler Spears, recalls: "There were a lot of things that were skated past, and we took a lot of time to make it really operate from a place of character and relatability that, I think, will be shockingly emotional. The goal early on in our conversations with [co-writer] Seth [Rogen] were: 'We want people to leave the theatre, and be like, 'I can't believe I just cried at a Ninja Turtles movie.'"
As you might expect, Mutant Mayhem centers on righteous reptilians Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, as they set out to win the hearts of their fellow New Yorkers, after years of being sheltered from the human world. Alongside their new friend, April O'Neil (Ayo Edebiri), the anthropomorphic foursome attempt to take down a mysterious crime syndicate, but find themselves in over their shells when they become the target of an army of mutants. Rogen, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Paul Rudd, and Jackie Chan are among the star-studded voice cast.
Since the series' first film was released in 1990, three years after the first cartoon TV series kicked off in the US, there have been six other movies. While a few were sequels, others took it upon themselves to reboot the franchise. Here's hoping Mutant Mayhem, which releases on August 4, manages to successfully reinvent the wheel.
The above is just a snippet of our interview in the new issue of Total Film magazine, which features Netflix thriller Heart of Stone on the cover. The magazine hits shelves this Thursday, June 22. Check out the covers below:
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