Ninja Turtles Begins Filming in Late Summer or Early Fall

Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, titled simply Ninja Turtles, will begin filming in Vancouver in late summer or early fall, according to an article in British Columbia's The Province. The area is an incredibly popular place to film, due to ample studio space, a ton of wide open countryside and generous tax incentives. The film, which will be directed by Wrath of the Titans veteran Jonathan Liebesman, has already come under attack from Turtles fans on the Internet after Bay (who is producing the movie) let slip that the titular heroes will no longer be mutants at all, but alien life forms. According to The Province, the premise goes: Inadvertently created by an invading alien horde, the Turtles will rise up to Earth's defense and, presumably, eat pizza. Back in March when the news broke, creators and actors involved with the Turtles franchise lined up to take sides, with (among others) Bay and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman urging fans to "take a breath and chill" and wait for the film's release before passing judgment. Many fans, especially those unhappy with the way Bay has handled the Transformers franchise, have found it difficult to do so. The art at left is by Eastman, and is rumored to be indicative of what the Turtles will look like in this new iteration. It was drawn for rapper Kid Cudi, who is rumored to be involved with the film. Ninja Turtles will come to theaters in the U.S. Christmas Day, 2013, stepping into a spot previously vacated by Brad Pitt's troubled adaptation of Max Brooks' World War Z.