1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (previously known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half Shell) is an upcoming 2016 American 3D science fiction action comedy film, directed by Dave Green and written by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters.
2. It is intended to be the sequel to 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and stars Megan Fox, Stephen Amell, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Brian Tee, Tyler Perry, Brittany Ishibashi and Laura Linney.
3. Principal photography on the film began on April 27, 2015 in New York City.
4. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 3, 2016 in 3D and IMAX 3D as the previous film.
5. The plot: The Turtles come into conflict with T.C.R.I. scientist Dr. Baxter Stockman, the Foot Clan and the return of Eric Sacks, Karai, and their enemy, The Shredder, who has hired Stockman to create mutants of his own in the form of Bebop and Rocksteady. Meanwhile, an invasion above New York City is led by the Dimension X inhabitant known as Krang. The Turtles are joined in the fight with Splinter, and their human friends April O’Neil, Vern Fenwick and the vigilante Casey Jones.
6. Instead of Brian Tyler, Steve Jablonsky will compose the music score.
7. Filming began in April in New York City and Buffalo, spending about $70 million in the state.
8. Principal photography on the film began on April 27, 2015 in New York City when the film crew was spotted filming in Midtown Manhattan.
9. Filming in Buffalo began on May 4, 2015 along the Kensington Expressway and ended May 17, 2015.
10. Additional filming occurred in New York City on January 30, and ended on February 1.
11. Farelly and Williams recorded additional dialogue for the film in February 2016.
12. The film will be released in the United States on June 3, 2016 and in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2016.
13. Fichtner revealed in an interview that he has signed on for three TMNT films. Fisher also revealed in an interview that all four of the turtle actors have signed on for three films as well.
14. The sequel was announced two days after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) was released.
15. Stephen Amell compared his role of Casey Jones to his role as Oliver Queen in Arrow (2012): “Casey Jones is almost a little bit more like the Oliver Queen that people know from the older comic books.”
16. Judith Hoag, who has a cameo role in this film, had played April O’Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990). She had also appeared in the Michael Bay film Armageddon (1998).
17. A car bears the license plate “Mirage84”. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first appeared in Mirage Comics in 1984.
18. The Shredder and Karai in this film are being played by Brian Tee and Brittany Ishibashi, who are both younger than their previous actors Tohoru Masamune and Minae Noji.
19. C.M. Punk and Billy Beyrer were considered, and auditioned for the role of Rocksteady.
20. Casey Jones’s equipment is taken from his appearance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012):
- hockey pucks and an Eastman hockey stick (the name on the stick is a tribute to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” creator Kevin Eastman).
- a set of roller skates
- and a 2015 Polaris Slingshot automobile, inspired by Jones’ Slamboni vehicle from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012).
21. A car bears the license plate “Mirage84”. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first appeared in Mirage Comics in 1984.
22. The Shredder and Karai in this film are being played by Brian Tee and Brittany Ishibashi, who are both younger than their previous actors Tohoru Masamune and Minae Noji.
23. C.M. Punk and Billy Beyrer were considered, and auditioned for the role of Rocksteady.
24. The Turtles’s new vehicle in this film is the Battle Shell, which is based on various vehicles from the TMNT saga:
- the second Battle Shell from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) (an undercover vehicle to use outdoors)
- the Hauler from Turtles Forever (2009) (a customized garbage truck)
- and the Shellraiser from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) (a vehicle with a cannon that fires manhole covers).
25. The slogan on the Battle Shell reads “Tartaruga Brothers” (“tartaruga” is Italian for “tortoise”). This is a homage to the second Battle Shell from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), which bore the slogan “Tortuga Brothers” (“tortuga” is Spanish for “turtle”).
26. Stephen Farrelly (Rocksteady) is the second wrestler to work on a TMNT film, after Kevin Nash (the Super Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)).
27. Alan Ritchson (Raphael) and Stephen Amell (Casey Jones) had previously appeared together on Blue Mountain State (2010). Ritchson was a linebacker and a main actor on the series, while Amell was the quarterback and was only in the first season.
28. The film originally set to release in 2017, the 30th anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987).
29. The producers tried to get cameo roles from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) actors Elias Koteas (the first cinematic Casey Jones) and Sam Rockwell (a Foot Clan member). However, both declined to appear.
30. The original subtitle was going to be “Half-Shell”, after the TMNT tagline “Heroes in a half-shell”.
31. Stephen Amell is the second comic-book actor to play Casey Jones (he’d starred in Arrow (2012)), after Chris Evans (who has done various Marvel Comics films and other comic-book adaptations).
32. In a Halloween parade scene, Michelangelo is awestruck by a man dressed up as the Transformer Bumblebee. Michael Bay directed/produced the live-action “Transformers” films and produced the live-action “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” films.
33. April uses a false ID card with the name Renet Tilley. In the TMNT saga, Renet was a time-traveller and ally to the Turtles.
34. Splinter wears a brown robe in this film, in a homage to his brown robe in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990).
35. The Shredder’s new gray-black spiked armor is based on his first armor in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003).
36. Gary Anthony Williams is the second black actor to play Bebop after J.B. Smoove.
37. Director Dave Green has been a huge TMNT fan from childhood; he used to dress up as Donatello.
38. The trailer was first seen during halftime at the super bowl.
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