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EXCLUSIVE: Now that Paramount and Platinum Dunes has set Megan Fox as the female lead in the Jonathan Liebesman-directed live-action/CGI feature Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they are working on the turtles. First to be cast: Alan Ritchson, who’ll play Raphael. He’ll be coming off playing Gloss, the deadly dagger-wielding male tribute from District One in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Now, the original movie series put its actors in bulky turtle suits, but this one will be more like the performance capture in Avatar, making this a good role. The TMNT reboot is dated for a June 6, 2014 release after it was pushed back to cut the budget to around $125M. Ritchson is repped by UTA and manager Michael Yanni.
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Raph was always my favorite Turtle.
This is awesome news for Hunger Games and Turtle fans!
This is not awesome news for Turtle fans. They’re livid over what Michael Bay plans to do to this franchise. Adding an actor from a tween fangirl oriented franchise like the Hunger Games is just another big fat negative. This film is going to TANK.
The Hungers Games appeals to more than “Tween Girls”. It’s essentially an action film where young people kill each other to survive. It wouldn’t have made over 400 million in North America if the appeal was limited to females.
Do you not know where Alan Ritchson got his fame from? Blue Mountain State. Not a movie that hasn’t even premiered yet. He’s perfect for this role. Can’t wait.
Uhh, first of all Hunger Games rocks if you’re a boy or a girl (I’m a boy) and second of all Alan was amazing in Blue Mountain State – he was consistently the funniest character on a very funny (if American Pie-esque) show. I’m a huge TMNT fan and this news really excited me. Maybe you should grow up or something.
I pray to the GODS that Michael Bay doesn’t ruin this movie. I am so looking forward to this.
No frickin way! Thad Castle is going to be a turtle!!! BMS movie next!
Nothing about this movie could ever be considered “good news” for Turtles fans.
I was a PA on the first Turtles. It cost 9 million to make, and a large chunk of that was for the turtle costumes.
I was obsessed with TMNT cartoons as a kid. LOVED the first Turtles film. It was a dark, great action film (as it should have been). I remember bouncing up and down on my chair in the theater waiting for what seemed like FOREVER for the film to start. Great memories.
This film is going to be an abortion of epic proportions. ($125m?! WHY?!) Michael Bay directing and Megan Fox as April disgust me.
See, this is what’s wrong with all the Michael Bay schadenfreude. It just leads to pure ignorance. No, Michael Bay is not, and never has been, directing this film.
(and this is a plea for you to share stories about your experience on set!)
Mike, just how does the performance-capture technique they’re seemingly going with make this “a good role” in comparison to the original film’s man-in-suit technique? Do you mean: “easier for the actor”…? The original live-action TMNT film still retains a kind of emotional authenticity that the sequels never came near. Is that the suits? The performances in them? The director? I don’t know…I just don’t get your statement.
I don’t get it either. Nothing about this movie makes sense to me. And now they’re choosing to use CG instead of suits? No matter how good CG is it will always be CG — it’s not really there. What about this concept is too hard for Hollywood producers and directors to grasp? Why on earth would they choose to use CG when the suits in the original worked so well? Money, of course. But it won’t work. I loved the look of Avatar but anyone with half a brain who sees the Naavi knows they’re computer-generated. I’m a huge computer nerd but the best effects I’ve seen are still the practical/CG combo that Lucas created for his original Return of the Jedi, imo. Get a clue Hollywood. And I hope to goodness they didn’t cast Megan Fox as April O’Neill. That would be repugnant. They should have cast unknown Alyssa Jacobsen, she would have been perfect. This movie’s going to tank. Which makes me sad — such a waste of money.
This is awesome. Alan is the next leading man/franchise builder
I’m as cynical as they come but Alan is a funny guy. If he brings a bit of Thad Castle to Raphael it won’t suck as much. I’m worried about Michael Bay and Megan Fox, but it’s all about the turtles to me.
it’s a move in the right direction, I like him.
Ever heard of Blue Mountain State? If so, you’d know as much as Alan is gorgeous, he’s a guys’ guy. Every woman wants him, every guy wants to be him. Find BMS on Netflix
Who’s going to be shredder? It didn’t say Megan Fox is April Oneil?! Loved Alan in BMS and at least I know Raph will be well played.
I hate that whenever they do a press release for this film they always call it Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, call it what it is and let everyone know Michael Bay that you are destroying a franchise, out of principle not going to see it if it is still not TEENAGE or MUTANT by the time they make it.
How can this guy be Raphael! They can’t be blonde surely! little more Italian looking please
Raphael is my favorite and the fact that Alan is playing him is that much better! Thad freaking Castle!!!
The “Turtle Fans” that are griping over this are complete tools who have no clue what the OG story line of TMNT is (read: when they learned about an alien element they didn’t go “Oh yeah just like the comic…”), didn’t see The Raid: Redemption in theaters (makes sense-far too little did) and are stuck on group think stupid. With the available technology now If Bay & Co. plumb the comic for story depth, and get Iko Uwais and/or Yayan Ruhian to choreograph this thing could be seriously dope, regardless of what the 30 something cool kid know-nothing set are screaming and stomping their digital feet about.
Great casting! Alan is funny guy. Who is Megan Fox playing?
God enough with TMNT already. How many reboots, remakes, cartoon series, etc must we live through? Eastman & Laird really hit the lotto back in the 80s. Still riding this same crap after 30 years.