TMNT (film)

TMNT
TMNT
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kevin Munroe
Written by	Kevin Munroe
Based on	Characters; by Kevin Eastman; Peter Laird;
Produced by	Thomas K. Gray; Galen Walker; Paul Wang;
Starring	Chris Evans; Sarah Michelle Gellar; Mako; Kevin Smith; Patrick Stewart; Ziyi Zhang; Laurence Fishburne;
Cinematography	Steve Lumley
Edited by	John Damien Ryan
Music by	Klaus Badelt
Production; company	Imagi Animation Studios
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures (United States/Canada); Golden Scene (Hong Kong); The Weinstein Company (International);
Release dates	March 17, 2007 (Grauman's Chinese Theatre); March 23, 2007 (United States); March 29, 2007 (Hong Kong);
Running time	87 minutes
Countries	United States; Hong Kong;
Language	English
Budget	$34 million
Box office	$95.6 million

TMNT (abbreviated from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is a 2007 animated superhero film written and directed by Kevin Munroe in his feature directorial debut and based on the characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. The first animated film in the franchise,^[6] it features an ensemble voice cast including Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mako, Kevin Smith, Patrick Stewart, and Ziyi Zhang with narration by Laurence Fishburne. In the film, after having grown apart following the final defeat of their arch-enemy, the Shredder, the four Turtles — Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo (voiced respectively by James Arnold Taylor, Nolan North, Mitchell Whitfield, and Mikey Kelley) — are set to reunite and overcome their faults to save the world from evil ancient creatures.

Development and pre-production for TMNT began in June 2005 at Imagi's Los Angeles facility and the animation was produced in Hong Kong, followed by post-production in Hollywood. Munroe chose to produce the film in CGI animation as opposed to live-action like the prior Turtles films, in an effort to make it easier for audiences to suspend their beliefs. When writing the film, Munroe wanted to divert away from the lighthearted elements of the franchise and put a heavier emphasis on the darker tone of the original comics. The animators that worked on the fight sequences were inspired by Hong Kong action films.

TMNT was released theatrically in the United States on March 23, 2007, by Warner Bros. Pictures, and internationally released with The Weinstein Company and in Hong Kong, on March 29 by Gold Scene. The film received mixed reviews from critics, grossing $95.6 million worldwide against a budget of $34 million. Planned sequels were cancelled after Nickelodeon acquired the franchise in 2009, rebooting the film series with the live-action film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2014.

^ ^a ^b ^c Pamela McClintock (May 7, 2007). "Duo divvy up 'Ninja' world". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
^ "2007 – Chinese Theatres". TCL Chinese Theatre. Archived from the original on November 26, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
^ Joe Strike (March 23, 2007). "TMNT: The Turtles More Animated in CG". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
^ Martin A. Grove (March 31, 2007). "$35 million budget puts TMNT on road to profits". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2007.
^ Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Armstrong, Josh (August 19, 2014). "Director Kevin Munroe revisits Imagi's TMNT franchise". Animated Views. Retrieved January 5, 2023. "The memento wall was a way to try and have TMNT play in continuity with the earlier, live-action films," explains Munroe. "I probably would have done a complete reboot if presented with the idea. But Pete was pretty adamant about not doing a reboot while not necessarily having TMNT play with the rest of the franchise. So, I just took a stand and said, 'Yes, TMNT exists with the other films.'"

[disvar-1] Pamela McClintock (May 7, 2007). "Duo divvy up 'Ninja' world". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2023.

[2] "2007 – Chinese Theatres". TCL Chinese Theatre. Archived from the original on November 26, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.

[awn-3] Joe Strike (March 23, 2007). "TMNT: The Turtles More Animated in CG". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2007.

[budget-4] Martin A. Grove (March 31, 2007). "$35 million budget puts TMNT on road to profits". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2007.

[mojo-5] Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[6] Armstrong, Josh (August 19, 2014). "Director Kevin Munroe revisits Imagi's TMNT franchise". Animated Views. Retrieved January 5, 2023. "The memento wall was a way to try and have TMNT play in continuity with the earlier, live-action films," explains Munroe. "I probably would have done a complete reboot if presented with the idea. But Pete was pretty adamant about not doing a reboot while not necessarily having TMNT play with the rest of the franchise. So, I just took a stand and said, 'Yes, TMNT exists with the other films.'"

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]