At an off-site location, during San Diego Comic-con, Nickelodeon unveiled their re-imagined version of TMNT. The series won't hit the airwaves til possibly fall of 2012. This version will be CG animated, and our four heroes will finally be portrayed as true teens. About time someone actually embraced the teenager aspect of the turtles. Also the Vice President of Animation, Rich Magallanes, had an even clearer description of the turtles, he said,"the turtles will appear more like high school football players,"
The other dramatic change to the usual TMNT storyline is that April O'neil is getting younger. To be exact, this new April will be just a teenager as well, sixteen years old. Read the two articles below for more details about the rebooted turtles.
Excerpt from
laweekly article
"Someone in their 30s with their own life going on isn't going to be able to delegate that much interest into these characters' lives and provide the attention and shelter that they need," says Nieli. "April can automatically assimilate as one of them and vice versa. If they're going to come out in the world for the first time, in the city, they're going to want someone whose of the same mindset."
Party Dude of halfshellheroes.com posted character descriptions based on the information at the event
(Full Article)
Leonardo (Jason Biggs) -- He is the self-proclaimed leader of the group. However, at the beginning of the series he really doesn't know how to be that guy yet. He uses the katana!
Michelangelo (Greg Cipes) -- He is the "younger brother" of the four. He's a goofy fun-loving guy, but that's no cause for underestimating this class clown's fighting skills! He uses the nunchaku!
Donatello (Rob Paulsen) -- He's still the techno geek we know and love! Like a real Ninja, he can use his environment to invent great things! He also has a slight crush on April. He uses the bo!
Raphael (Sean Astin) -- He punches first and asks questions later! He's quick-witted and full of sarcasm! He competes with Leo for leadership of the brothers. He could do it, too, if he weren't so hotheaded. He uses the sai!
Splinter (Hoon Lee) -- Formerly Hamato Yoshi, he's often depicted as frail and old, this new Splinter is a bit younger so he can be a formidable opponent against the Shredder like he was in the first season of the original show!
April O'Neil -- She's got short red hair, a yellow shirt, black shorts, and sneakers! She's 16 (to be a peer to the Turtles) and learning to be a kunoichi (female ninja) from Splinter himself! Oh, and she's in no way "emo" like previous reports might've suggested. It's a big change, but it was better than bringing back Venus DeMilo for a female peer to the Turtles.
Shredder -- A no-nonsense ninja master and leader of the Foot Clan, he's a very competent foe who has devoted himself to the destruction of Hamato Yoshi and his Turtles. He's the scariest Shredder has ever been!
The Kraang -- With an android body more similar to the Utroms from the original comics, these brains with menacing ugly faces and squid tentacles out their sides conduct mutagen experiments on random victims they kidnap. They also, like the Utroms, have human disguises that go over their android bodies.