Kevin Munroe, director of the upcoming CGI Teenage Mutuant Ninja Turtles film, has been interviewed by the gang at Gamerz Edge. He gave some interesting information about the next sequel, and addressed some of the primary concerns of fans of the franchise. Below is an excerpt from the interview.
On his planned portrayal of the Turtles: After story, this is one of the biggest priorities for me. This movie is really going to be a throwback to the tone of the first comics. So much so that when I first met with Peter Laird, I brought my personal TMNT issue #1 from ’84 for him to sign – I was a big fan before Imagi even knew who I was. I love that book and just the raw energy of it – both in terms of the action but also the visual vibe. The question then becomes “Hey Mr. Smarty Pants Director, how does that seed translate into a cgi feature in 2007”? Well, we’re going after a moodier and darker grit that will give us a lot of negative/black areas on screen. The color palate is going to be rich, but we won’t be throwing every color under the sun on frame at once. The animation and boarding will be heavily influenced by our collective love of comic book style. The tests we’ve done so far are looking amazing – like a hand-painted dark graphic novel. As for the Turtles themselves, well, you’ll just have to stay tuned for that one. We’ve been working very closely with Peter and Mirage to develop the look. But rest assured that these are not bubbly turtles in a half shell from the first TV series…
On making the Turtles film with CGI: I understand the concern… sort of. To me, the story is still the #1 priority for this film. If we nail that the way we think we will, then the medium could really be anything we want it to be. Imagi’s OEM work for Dreamworks on Father of the Pride is a great show in its own right, but it’s not even close to the quality that the studio is pumping out for TMNT. Seeing the tests we’ve done so far, I’d rank Imagi at the level of any major animation studio in the business…and I’m one of the biggest critics out there.
On where the film fits in the timeline: None of us are interested in making another origin story. I think that one’s been well established by this point, don’t you? Nor are we out to redefine the franchise. I want this movie to celebrate the coolness of the Turtles – the action, the humor, the characters, acknowledging the stories that have been told already, etc. We’re working really closely with Mirage on the script. It’s very much in the vein of the timeline of the new Superman movie – i.e. we’re saying the events in the first movie have happened, and to a lesser extent, the second movie as well. The Turtles are such rich characters to begin with, and knowing the villains and challenges they’ve faced in the past just makes them even moreso in this movie.
For the full article, head here.
Credit: Moviehole.net, Gamerz-edge.com
