Get ready for June to turn green. Not only from the great weather and the accompanying plant bloom, but the greenbacks that’ll be exchanged at the box office as audiences flock to see more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action. That’s right, the heroes in a half shell are back in the inevitable sequel to the 2014 hit. And their new foes can’t wait.
There’s no surprise there. Someone had to fill in the power vacuum after the turtles put the kibosh to Shredder in the first movie. And what an ensemble of lowlife scum! Long-time fans will immediately recognize the mutated boar Bebop and rhino Rocksteady in movie trailer below:
The non-mutated pair are played by actors Gary Anthony Williams and Sheamus. Williams was recently seen in the movie, The Internship, and is well-known for his voice work in the animated series, The Boondocks. Sheamus, who’s real name is Stephen Farelly, is a professional wrestler. Before TMNT2, he had minor roles in the movies, The Escapist and Assault of Darkness.
The third villain that’ll be coming Out of the Shadows (get it?) is the bizarre Krang. TMNT producer Michael Bay made the following remark during an interview about the sequel:
“They start with Ninja Turtles animation. Pablo Helman, a visual-effects supervisor who worked on the Star Wars prequels, appears onscreen and shows Bay the latest version of Krang, a new-to-the-movies villain who is, essentially, a disembodied brain inside a giant robot. “So we’ve eliminated the tentacles,” Helman explains. “Is it too monster-ish?”
“He could have some tentacles,” says Bay. “I just don’t want them coming out of the side. He looks like a stupid octopus.” “
No images of this re-imagined Krang have been released at the time of this post. However, this collection of toys set to be released with the movie may give a strong hint to his (its?) final form.
Another villain that’ll be giving grief to the green heroes is the mad scientist Baxter Stockman. Played by Tyler Perry of the (in)famous Madea series (e.g., Madea’s Family Reunion, Meet the Browns, A Madea Christmas, etc.), Stockman caused no end of trouble to the turtles in the comic books, animated series and earlier films. It’s unknown if Perry’s Stockman will become a cyborg or a human / fly hybrid in Out of the Shadows as in the original source materials.
Finally, expect the usual gaggle of high-tech ninjas and their leaders in the movie on top of everything.
Fortunately, the turtles have several allies in Out of the Shadows. Master Splinter returns as well as intrepid reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) and her love-struck colleague, Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett). Joining them is the hockey mask-wearing vigilante Casey Jones (pictured). He’s played by Stephen Amell of the Arrow television series. And representing the NYPD, Laura Linney joins the franchise.
So what do you think of this venerable horde of foes against our teenage heroes? Formidable? Or they’ll be feeling turtle power in no time? As always, let us know in the comments below or on the Grizzly Bomb Facebook page!
Images: Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Platinum Dunes
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