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The upcoming film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem kicked off this past weekend’s Comic Con festivities. This animated flick is poised to reboot the TMNT series and bring a more stylized version of the half-shelled heroes. Unfortunately, the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes kept writer/producer Seth Rogen along with the voice cast away from the panel. However, director Jeff Rowe was in attendance, and he brought with him plenty of footage for fans to sink their teeth into – twenty minutes of footage to be exact.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Panel
The official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem panel took place in Hall H at Comic Con. Moderated by Charles Hood and Drew Taylor, the panel opened with a discussion with Jeff Rowe. Being a fan of the TMNT franchise, Rowe was eager to jump aboard, especially as this marks his first solo project.
One of the things Rowe wanted to focus on with this version of the Turtles is their teenage aspect. This meant putting teenagers behind the voices of these iconic characters. It also meant re-stylizing the heroes and the animation to resemble a more teenage look. Rowe also drew inspiration from the original Playmates Toys. In fact, many of the film’s characters, like Leatherhead and Mondo Gecko, come from that specific line.
Big Guests and a Big Announcement
Before showing off footage from the film, the panel brought out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman. Eastman shared how much he loved the film and how proud he was of it. In fact, he eagerly asked Rowe when to expect a sequel – something Rowe laughed off.
Eastman then addressed the crowd with a special announcement. It turns out that Nickelodeon and Paramount have gained the rights to the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series from the 1980s. It will be airing on Nickelodeon sometime next year for a whole new generation to enjoy.
While Seth Rogen, the film’s writer and producer, was not in attendance, he did pre-record two videos that were shown during the panel. The first simply touched on the worldwide phenomenon that is the TMNT franchise. The other hyped up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Then, alongside Ice Cube, Rogen presented 20 full minutes of footage from the beginning of the film.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Footage
Folks in attendance were treated to 20 minutes from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Those 20 minutes were broken down into four distinct scenes from the film. It all kicked off with the Turtles, Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonard, preparing for a “mission.” The characters are stylized more like their comic-book counterparts and not in the “teenage” style seen in the trailers. It is not until the “mission” is revealed to be just running an errand for groceries, that the style shifts to the more playful animation from the film’s trailers.
It then cuts to the heroes on their way home as they decide to watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in the park. As they watch, the footage shows the desire of these teenage turtles to belong in the human world, doing the “normal” things that human teenagers do like go to school and fall in love. That fantasy is broken when they return home to their “father,” Splinter, who reminds them why they must fear humans.
Then the audience is given a re-telling of the turtle’s origins. Splinter is shown as a street rat who happens upon the baby turtles in the sewers. They are covered in ooze, and while everything else in the sewers and streets wants to kill Splinter, the turtles only show him love. When Splinter touches the ooze, they are all transformed and the once-common street rat vows to protect these turtles.
Then there is a montage of Splinter showing them the dangers of the outside world. Realizing the humans will never accept them, he decides to train them to defend themselves. Through martial arts, Splinter teaches the turtles to fight.
Meeting April O’Neil
Another scene shows the four half-shelled heroes messing around on the roof. When one of their throwing stars hits the helmet of April O’Neil, Leonardo is immediately entranced by her. Unfortunately, a criminal takes advantage of the moment and steals April’s bike. They rush into action and find themselves facing a huge gang of criminals. Luckily, the turtles work well together and begin using that self-defense training to kick some serious butt.
With all the criminals dispatched, April shows up and thanks them. When she sees what they truly are, instead of running, she is curious. They decide to explain their origins to her over… you guessed it: a slice of pizza!
Even More Sneak Peeks
Two more clips show what dangers await the turtles in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The first shows a TCRI truck being taken by the villain Superfly. At TCRI, a scientist notes that they have a way of trapping this Superfly. It then cuts to a picture of a housefly and a scientist named “Baxter Stockman.”
The second clip takes place later in the film and shows the Turtles and April plotting to capture Superfly. However, Superfly arrives with more mutants in tow. We see TMNT favorites Bebop and Rocksteady as well as Leatherhead, Mondo Gecko, Wingnut, Ray Fillet, and Genghis Frog.
In classic villain monologue fashion, Superfly reveals he was created by Baxter Stockman with ooze. He wants the Turtles to join him as they are also mutants and feared by humans. All this footage sets Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem up to be an iconic, and potentially surprising, entry in the TMNT franchise. The film hits theaters on August 2.
