First 'Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Trailer Released

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are returning to the format that made them a pop culture sensation with the all-new animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Check out the first teaser for the series above.

The brand-new series "reimagines the iconic series and breathes new life into the classic characters, with jagged-shelled Raphael as a snapping turtle, wielding twin tonfas as his weapons; Leonardo as a red-eared slider, using an ōdachi sword; Donatello as a soft-shell turtle, sporting a tech-bo staff; and Michelangelo as a box turtle, arming himself with a kusari-fundo. Along for the adventure is the Turtles' most trusted ally, April O'Neil, a street-savvy native New Yorker, and Splinter, father figure and sensei to the Turtles."

The characters originally debuted in the pages of comic books from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in 1984 before earning themselves a kid-friendly animated series in 1987. The popularity of the characters led to multiple feature films, the first of which premiered to much success in 1990.

Prior to their animated series, the characters were depicted in black and white, with the animated series giving the characters their signature colored masks, which made it easier for kids to identify their favorite characters. This upcoming re-imagining of the classic cartoon offers some slight tweaks to the turtles' personalities.

According to the new series, "Raphael, as the oldest and biggest brother, is the leader full of enthusiasm and bravado; Leonardo, the self-professed coolest brother possesses irreverent charm and a rebel heart; Donatello is a mechanical genius and tech wizard whose ninja skills are second only to his coding; and Michelangelo, the youngest brother, is a skateboarder and artist who is wild and imaginative."

The new series as also amassed immaculate voice talent, with Omar Miller (Ballers) as Raphael, Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) as Leonardo, Josh Brener (Silicon Valley) as Donatello, Brandon Mychal Smith (You're The Worst) as Michelangelo, Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) as April O'Neil and Eric Bauza (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Splinter. WWE Superstar John Cena voices the villain Baron Draxum, "an alchemist warrior mutant who seeks to turn all of humanity into mutants."

Stay tuned for details on when Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will premiere on Nickelodeon.

What do you think of this new approach to the Ninja Turtles? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T YouTube, Nickelodeon]