Hard to believe, but it was all the way back in March of 2012 when we all learned that the working title of the Michael Bay-produced film was
Ninja Turtles. Some people were instantly turned off by the implications that the Turtles would not be mutants nor would they be teenagers. Bay even referred to them as "aliens" and that got people quite angry, as you well know. Many months later, Paramount alleviated concerns by putting "Teenage" and "Mutant" back into the title. Clearly, it was a last minute decision as early looks at toy packaging used "Ninja Turtles" as the title. Seems like "Ninja Turtles" will be a more accurate title for the flick as a new image of the "Evolution Figure Packs" feature teenage versions of the Turtles that look dramatically different from the finished versions. The good news? There are baby turtles, so we at least know they aren't aliens.
CBM UPDATE: We just received an email, directly from Paramount, confirming that the Ninja Turtles will indeed be teenagers in the film.
The city needs heroes. Darkness has settled over New York City as Shredder and his evil Foot Clan have an iron grip on everything from the police to the politicians. The future is grim until four unlikely outcast brothers rise from the sewers and discover their destiny as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles must work with fearless reporter April and her wise-cracking cameraman Vern Fenwick to save the city and unravel Shredder’s diabolical plan.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES directed by Jonathan Liebesman ("Wrath of the Titans"), and produced by Michael Bay ("The Rock"). The script was written by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, based on characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The cast includes: Megan Fox as April O'Neil, Alan Ritchson as Raphael, Noel Fisher as Michelangelo, Danny Woodburn as Splinter, Jeremy Howard as Donatello, Pete Ploszek as Leonardo, Will Arnett as Vernon and William Fichtner as Shredder. It lands in theaters August 8, 2014.