Last year, Seth Rogen's Point Grey Pictures production company was announced to be helming a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reboot. The CGI film is said to be headed to the big screen, but with the recent changes with streaming in the pandemic, that remains to be seen.
Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures working with Rogen on this project leaves plenty of room for awesome hijinks with the heroes in a half shell. Now, we have a bit more information about what to expect when it comes to the reboot.
With character breakdowns for all four of the turtles, fans old and new have an idea of what to expect when it comes to the core characters. What's interesting is that with each description, fear or unease is revealed in each of the turtles' psyches, making the film that much more interesting to check out.
Starting with the pack leader, we learn about Leo's internal struggle of wanting his brothers to need him while he fears they'll learn that he needs them more.
Leonardo (M), Age: 13-16, Any ethnicity, (V.O.) LEAD
"The team leader. Leo is strictly business, all killer, no filler – except when he’s boasting and describing himself with dumb phrases like “all killer no filler.” He cares about keeping the “team” on a mission and tells himself that his brothers would be lost without him.
He’s not the strongest (Ralph) or the smartest (Donnie), or the funniest (Mikey), but he’s the hardest working turtle boy, and he’s proud of it. His brothers can get annoyed by his do-gooder attitude and the lectures that come with it, even when they know he’s right. Leo’s biggest fears are his brothers realizing that he needs them more than they need him."
Meanwhile, Raph looks to be working out his issues with anger, and it is made clear that while he challenges his brother's leadership, he would be lost in the position himself.
Raphael (M), Age: 13-16, Any ethnicity, (V.O.) LEAD
"The hothead. Raph likes to break s**t. Whether it’s with his fists or someone else’s fists as he throws them through a glass window. Ralph tends to react emotionally when overwhelmed, but he’s actually super self-aware and working on it. With his hands in his pockets, crossed arms, and sullen face, he can come across as a little brooding.
But beneath his impenetrable exterior is a soft, sensitive turtle boy who’s just looking for someone to open up to. Ralph, who would hate ANY authority figure, resents Leo’s leadership and thinks he should be in charge. His secrete shame? He knows deep down he wouldn’t know how to lead the team if it ever came to it."
When it comes to Mikey, it's no surprise that the turtle is shown to have a carefree attitude, but it is also revealed that his biggest weakness is that his brothers teasing him is secretly what bothers him the most.
Michelangelo (M), Age: 13-16, Any ethnicity, (V.O.) LEAD
"The goofball. With rare exception – takes nothing seriously. It could come across as aloofness or idiocy, but it actually comes from a place of wisdom and self-confidence. (knowing himself?) Mikey has his priorities in order, and at the top of the list is enjoying life and living in the present. He loves people and is endlessly curious, which leads to him having long conversations with complete strangers.
He’s that friend you tell your entire life story about within minutes of the meeting. He might not be good at martial arts training or waking up on time, or even hygiene, but he’s an endless well of positivity that his brothers often take for granted. Mikey gets teased the most by his brothers, and even though he always laughs it off. Deep down, it gets to him."
Finally, Donny holds down his nerdy spot on the team. He knows he's the smartest of the pack, but he's afraid that his intellect would be challenged and leave him without purpose if he had to join another group.
Donatello (M), Age: 13-16, Any ethnicity (V.O.) LEAD
"The intellectual. It feels like he’s Matt Damon in Goodwill Hunting. He is made fun of by his brothers for being academic. They acknowledge his smarts are useful but don’t appreciate it as much as he feels he deserves. His intelligence has its downsides, though. Sometimes his intellectual self-assuredness can come across as arrogance, and his extreme pragmatism sometimes reads as coldness.
It’s not that he doesn’t care. His brain is just thinking so many steps ahead about such complicated stuff that he often finds himself paralyzed with indecision. He can talk himself into something just as easily as he can talk himself out. Donnie knows he’s smart, but his secret fear he’d never admit out loud is that if he was ever around people at his level, he worries he wouldn’t be able to keep up. And if he’s not as smart as he thought… what is he?"
What do you guys think of these descriptions? Do they feel like the turtles you know, or would you change anything? Leave your thoughts in the usual spot!
Fans of TMNT will no doubt want to hear our chat with Rob Paulsen, who voiced both Raphael and Donatello in the 1990's and 2010's animated series and does both voices for us below!