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Quick Links Judith Hoag Had a Terrible Time Filming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Hoag's Career After the Turtles Hoag's Doomed Return to Tmnt Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a hit despite low expectations, grossing $202 million on a $13.5 million budget. Judith Hoag starred as April O'Neil in the original film but did not return for the sequels due to various behind-the-scenes issues. Hoag's career expanded beyond Tmnt, including roles in Disney's Halloweentown franchise and recurring roles on popular TV series.

Despite no major studio believing in the possibility of a live-action Ninja Turtles movie being a hit, 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a box office smash hit, grossing $202 million on a budget of $13.5 million, which would make it the highest-grossing independent film up to that time. A sequel was quickly greenlit, and in less than a year, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze hit theaters on March 22, 1991. Fans did rush out,...

The prospect of making a grounded "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" film sounds decidedly counterintuitive to the very concept of the franchise. Yet, that's exactly what director Steve Barron did with the Turtles' first-ever live-action film, and with flying colors no less. It's honestly kind of a miracle how real so much of Barron's 1990 "Tmnt" movie feels. Yes, there are human-sized anthropomorphic turtles skateboarding and snacking on pizza in its sewers, yet the film's depiction of New York City is believably scuzzy and lived-in.

Then there are the four heroes in a half-shell themselves, who are brought to life by incredibly textured and emotive animatronic suits designed by the magicians at Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Most importantly for a film with the word "Ninja" in the title, they're able to convincingly perform martial arts in action scenes that are far more exhilarating and visceral than the relatively weightless tussles...

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have grown into one of the most iconic comic book franchises of all time. While there are many different adaptations of these heroes, for many fans, nothing has ever topped the 1990 live-action movie that brought Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo to the big screen for the first time.

Some aspects of the film might seem quite dated to modern fans, but it remains a beloved adventure with these characters that blew the minds of young fans when it was released. A lot went on behind the scenes to create this adventure that still has so many fans three decades later.

Inspiration From The Animated Series

The first ideas of how to transform the Ninja Turtles comic book into a movie began bubbling in the 1980s. However, with the success of the cartoon series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which premiered in 1987, there was even more interest in the franchise.

If you're a fan of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," then you are familiar with The Suits. You know the ones. They made their first appearance in the 1990 film directed by Steve Barron. Created by Jim Henson and his Creature Shop, these giant anthropomorphic turtle costumes have become synonymous with the Tmnt brand. They are uniquely bulky and completely cover the actor's body, including their head. On screen, they appear as if they would be rubbery to the touch, and if you think about what it must be like to actually wear one of the costumes yourself, you might start to get claustrophobic, sweaty, or both. They are the thing that makes the '90s film trilogy so memorable because they predate CGI and are all about good old fashioned costuming and puppeteering. Depending on who you ask, people either love or hate their unique look.

But no one has...

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may have been nicknamed "Heroes in a Half Shell," but the actors who played them in their first live-action movie in 1990 certainly weren't half-committed. Each Turtle, based on the sewer-dwelling comic book characters by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, was brought to life via puppetry and costumes from Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Making them come to life for a generation of kids weaned on their animated series and Playmates toys required the combined efforts of in-suit performers, facial assistants, voice actors, stunt doubles, and even a skateboarding double for Donatello, voiced by Corey Feldman.

In a 25th-anniversary retrospective via The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, the in-suit performers — who spent the most time embodying each character — looked back on the demanding experience they faced while becoming Ninja Turtles. Michelan Sisti, the actor who played Michelangelo and cameoed as his human pizza delivery driver, recalled going in...

While I don't hate any of the "Tmnt" movies (not even the confused patchwork that is the Michael Bay-produced 2014 big screen reboot), director Steve Barron's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is the only one I would venture so far as to call a genuinely good film. Unlike the other "Tmnt" movies to date, Barron's 1990 flick serves up plenty of silly Turtle-related hijinks while also being serious and even moving when it needs to be, creating a vision of New York City that feels lived-in and real. That's no minor achievement, either, given this version of NYC is swarming with masked ninjas, mutated reptiles, and a giant talking rat voiced by original Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash.

Equally good is the voice work for the Turtles themselves in the film. Brian Tochi, who evolved into a prolific voice actor starting in the '90s, lends his vocals to Leonardo, the...

Disney+ is currently streaming every episode of the hit ABC sitcom Dinosaurs. Baby Sinclair, who beats out Baby Grogu by three decades, is back to reclaim his crown as the most popular baby on Disney's streaming service. The classic 1990s sitcom follows the lives of the anthropomorphic dinosaur family the Sinclairs. The family consists of parents Fran (Jessica Walter), Earl (Stuart Pankin), and their children Baby Sinclair (Kevin Clash), Robbie (Leif Tilden), and Charlene (Sally Struthers).

Honey, the Sinclairs are home! Watch the original theme song for Dinosaurs, Now streaming on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/R51SpwooB4

— Disney+ (@disneyplus) January 29, 2021

Jim Henson first conceived the idea for Dinosaurs back in 1988. However, people were not sold on the idea back then. In fact, people though that Henson, the man behind The Muppets, was "crazy" to think that a sitcom about dinosaurs would be a hit. It wasn't until the success of...

Do you remember Dinosaurs? Star Bill Barretta and his brother Gene are hosting a virtual reunion of the ABC TV show, reports ToughPigs.

The family sitcom follows the Sinclair family, a group of dinosaurs (portrayed by performers in puppets) living and working in Pangaea around 60,000,000 BC. The cast (both voice and body) includes Stuart Pankin, Bill Barretta, Jessica Walter, Mitchel Young Evans, Tony Sabin Prince, Jason Willinger, Leif Tilden, Sally Struthers, Kevin Clash, and more. The show ran on from 1991 to 1994.

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Corey Feldman had a special message for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans ahead of the highly anticipated reunion over the weekend. Feldman voiced Donatello in the iconic movie, along with the third installment. He even voiced the Slash character in the 2012 TV series. The actor revealed that he still gets stopped and asked about playing the character on the big screen to this day, though he doesn't like to take all of the credit.

It's been 30 years since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first hit the big screen. A virtual reunion was held in honor of the event and Corey Feldman provided a message to the fans before it took place. While he is known as the voice of Donatello, he wanted people to know that most of the credit should go to the actors who had to get inside the sweaty suits to perform the stunts. A lot of people...

A pizza party thirty years in the making took place this weekend as original April O'Neil Judith Hoag hosted a 30th anniversary reunion for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and you can watch the complete video online. In addition to featuring many of the original cast and crew from the classic movie, the reunion special features all kinds of never-before-seen photos, fun facts about the film, and interesting stories from everyone involved from their memories of working on the movie back in 1990. If you love the original Tmnt movie, you're really going to love this reunion, and you can check it out in the video below.

In the video, Judith Hoag speaks with many key crew members who helped bring our favorite turtles to the big screen three decades ago. This includes director Steve Barron, writer Bobby Herbeck, composer John Du Prez, chief puppeteer and second unit director Brian Henson, and producer Kim Dawson.

"I run because I have to. I feel something when I run." Gravitas Ventures has released an official trailer for a romantic sports drama titled 1 Mile To You, about a runner struggling with loss. Graham Rogers (from "Quantico", Love & Mercy) stars, along with Stefanie Scott, Liana Liberato, Billy Crudup, and Tim Roth. The film is about a young man who loses his girlfriend in an accident, and runs to keep connected to her. That is until he meets a new woman, who helps him through his pain. It's described as an "uplifting, emotional, and visceral" story "about the power of our fondest memories to sustain us through our worst traumas – and when it is time to let the memories go and face an uncertain future." Doesn't that sound fun? Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Leif Tilden's 1 Mile To You, direct from YouTube: When a teenager (Graham Rogers...

Exclusive: After wrapping Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, Tim Roth moved right onto the role of Coach Jarhead in Life At These Speeds, the Leif Tilden-directed film that also stars Graham Rodgers, Billy Crudup, Liana Liberato, Peter Coyote, Melanie Lynsky, Stephanie Scott, Yul Vazquez, Elizabeth Canavan, and Tom Cocquerel. Pic is a drama about the power of our happiest memories to sustain us in the worst of times. After a teen loses his best friends in a tragic…...

Independence Day 2

Chin Han ("The Dark Knight") has joined the cast of the "Independence Day" sequel shooting in New Mexico. The film's director Roland Emmerich announced the news through his Twitter account.

Han previously worked with Emmerich on "2012" and here will play the leader of the Chinese Space Squadron. The film is due for release June 24th 2016. [Source: Twitter]

Rupture

Kerry Bishe, Peter Stormare, Lesley Manville and Ari Millen have joined the cast of sci-fi adventure thriller "Rupture" alongside Noomi Rapace and Michael Chiklis. Filming began Tuesday in Toronto.

Rapace plays a single mother abducted by a terrifying and mysterious organization who reveal to her that humanity faces an unsettling threat. Steven Shainberg is directing from Brian Nelson's script. [Source: Variety]

Empire

Adam Rodriguez ("Magic Mike") has scored a recurring role in the second season of Fox's hip-hop drama "Empire". Rodriguez joins previously announced guest stars Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz and Ne-Yo.

Having weathered the wintry climes of Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight set, Tim Roth has turned his attention to his next job. He’s joined the cast of Life At These Speeds, adapted from Marc Novak’s novel.Life, which also stars Melanie Lynsky, Graham Rodgers, Billy Crudup, Liana Liberato, Peter Coyote, Stephanie Scott, Yul Vazquez, Elizabeth Canavan and Tom Cocquerel, follows what happens when a teenager loses his best friends in an accident. He starts running, and discovers that the exercise allows him to remember them perfectly, all while bringing him notoriety. And he realises he has a choice to make – does he keep his past memories alive, or start making new ones in the present?Roth is set to play Coach Jarhead in the film, which Leif Tilden is directing. In addition to The Hateful Eight (which has yet to set a UK release date), the actor...

Highly Functional

Bruce Campbell and James Frecheville have joined the cast of Marc Forby's road comedy "Highly Functional" with filming about to take place in New Mexico and Canada over the next month. Tom Dibble penned the script.

Campbell plays a washed-up former country rock star who is kidnapped by a young autistic man (Frecheville) with the belief that his dying caregiver can only be cured by the star performing. Annabeth Gish, Missi Pyle, G.W. Bailey and Judge Reinhold also star. [Source: Variety]

The Out of Town Wedding

Brooks Wheelan, Kurt Braunohler and Michael Cassidy are set to star in Jed Rigney's indie comedy "The Out of Town Wedding" and Zuko Films.

The story centers on a group of five friends who reluctantly travel to a resort for a wedding that deteriorates into mayhem. Rigney wrote the script, and Justin Workman will produce. [Source: THR]

Life At These Speeds

Graham Rogers has...

Leif Tilden’s Life At These Speeds starring Douglas Booth, Billy Crudup, AnnaSophia Robb and Sam Rockwell will start production in autumn and Content will introduce to Cannes buyers.

Marc Novak wrote the story of a youngster who takes up running as a way of remembering his best friends who died in an accident.

Tom Butterfield and Scott Alvarez produce.

“Every now and then a script comes from left field and entirely captures your imagination and your heart,” said Content’s Jamie Carmichael.

“Life At These Speeds is that script. It’s powerful, emotional, inspiring and uplifting – Leif, Tom and Scott have put together something truly beautiful.”

The Content slate includes: Amy Berg’s Janis Joplin documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue, Mike van Diem’s The Surprise, Jimi: All Is By My Side starring Andre Benjamin; family adventure Pudsey: The Movie and supernatural horror Dark Summer.

When I met Sam Rockwell, he struck me as simultaneously cordial and aloof. It's almost as if he was saying, "You're only going to get a fraction of who I really am, but I'm going to give that part to you with 100 percent conviction." Which seemed fair enough, considering (a) we were strangers and (b) promotional interviews are among the most awkward experiences in existence.

Then, for whatever reason, things changed. Rockwell moved closer to me on the couch and the look on his face changed from "When can I leave this hotel and enjoy my life like a normal person?" to "I am now engaged in this conversation." I've interviewed Rockwell once before, but this is the conversation I've always wanted to have with him -- an actor I consider one of the most interesting and hardest-working in the business today.

His new film is the Sundance favorite "The Way,...

Douglas Booth ("Lol," "Great Expectations") and Billy Crudup ("Watchmen," "Hoover") are set to star in "Life at These Speeds" reports Variety.

Based on the novel by Jeremy Jackson, the story follows a rural teenager (Booth) who loses his best friends in a tragic accident and channels his survivor's guilt into an addiction to running. Along the way he becomes a world-class distance runner

Crudup will co-star as Booth's coach and confidante. Leif Tilden ("BigLove") will direct from a script by Marc Novak. Sam Rockwell will executive produce and shooting kicks off late March in Jackson, Mississippi.

Douglas Booth and Billy Crudup have signed on for Life at These Speeds. The pair will star in Leif Tilden's debut feature film, which has Conviction star Sam Rockwell attached as executive producer, according to Variety. The movie centres around a teenager (Booth) who attempts to deal with the death of his closest friend by channeling all his energy into becoming a world class runner. (more)...

Douglas Booth and Billy Crudup have signed on to star in the sports drama Life at These Speeds.  The story centers on "a rural teenager (Booth) who loses his best friends in a tragic accident and channels his survivor's guilt into an addiction to running, becoming a world-class distance runner in the process."   More than a decade after portraying famed long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine in Without Limits, Crudup will return to the track world to play Booth's coach and confidante.  Leif Tilden will direct Life at These Speeds from a script by Marc Novak, adapted from the novel of the same  name by Jeremy Jackson.  Sam Rockwell is executive producing alongside Scott William Alvarez and Peter Holden.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the book. This is my first encounter with the 19-year-0ld Booth, but my goodness is he pretty.  Like a British Chace Crawford.  He explained the...

One of Billy Crudup's earliest roles was in the film Without Limits. In that movie, the actor played Steve Prefontaine, the world-famous runner who competed in the Olympics and had his life tragically cut short when he was killed in a car accident at the age of 24. Now Crudup has signed on to be in a new movie about running, but instead of being the athlete, this time he'll be playing the coach. Both Billy Crudup and Douglas Booth have signed on to star in Life At These Speeds, a new film from director Leif Tilden and writer Marc Novak, according to Variety. Based on the novel by Jeremy Jackson, the movie tells the story of a young man (Booth) whose friends are killed in an accident. Needing a way to eliminate his grief, he begins to take up running and winds up becoming a world-class athlete. Sam Rockwell...

It’s not every first-time feature film director who scores established thesp Billy Crudup and rising star Douglas Booth for their project, but then, not every debutant director is Leif Tilden, who has the benefit of Sam Rockwell executive producing his debut, Life At These Speeds.Life, which writer Marc Novak has adapted from Jeremy Jackson’s novel, is the story of a teenager (Booth) whose life falls apart when his best friend dies in an accident. He becomes addicted to running (well, it’s better than crack) and channels his survivor’s guilt into the determination to become a world-class distance runner.Crudup, who knows a thing or two about going like the clappers on screen after playing Steve Prefontaine in Without Limits, is on to play the young running fanatic’s coach and confidant.While Crudup is well known from his appearances in the likes of Almost Famous,...

Billy Crudup fans — like myself, for instance — can take some solace in today’s news. According to Variety, the actor will co-star with Douglas Booth in Life at These Speeds, a drama directed by Leif Tilden and executive produced by Sam Rockwell. Based on Jeremy Jackson‘s novel — adapted for the screen by Marc Novak — the story follows “ a rural teenager (Booth) who loses his best friends in a tragic accident and channels his survivor’s guilt into an addiction to running, becoming a world-class distance runner in the process”; Crudup is playing “Booth’s coach and confidante.”

Tilden described the project as a “moving film about hope and forgiveness,” while Rockwell spoke enthusiastically about the prospect of having such a team come together for a story he’s supportive of. When asked about Speeds, meanwhile, Booth deemed it “a script [...] that really makes you sit up and pay attention,...

Billy Crudup, Douglas Booth join Sam Rockwell executive produced Life at These Speeds. Leif Tilden directs from the script by Marc Novak, based on the novel by Jeremy Jackson. This reunites Rockwell with Tilden who directed him in the award-winning short BigLove, reports Variety. Booth plays a rural teen who loses his best friends in a tragic accident, takes all of his guilt as a survivor, and channels it into a running addiction, becoming a world-class distance runner. This is not unfamiliar ground for Crudup who portrayed Steve Prefontaine in Without Limits, and will play Booth's coach in Life at These Speeds.

Billy Crudup, Douglas Booth join Sam Rockwell executive produced Life at These Speeds. Leif Tilden directs from the script by Marc Novak, based on the novel by Jeremy Jackson. This reunites Rockwell with Tilden who directed him in the award-winning short BigLove, reports Variety. Booth plays a rural teen who loses his best friends in a tragic accident, takes all of his guilt as a survivor, and channels it into a running addiction, becoming a world-class distance runner. This is not unfamiliar ground for Crudup who portrayed Steve Prefontaine in Without Limits, and will play Booth's coach in Life at These Speeds.

Billy Crudup, Douglas Booth join Sam Rockwell executive produced Life at These Speeds. Leif Tilden directs from the script by Marc Novak, based on the novel by Jeremy Jackson. This reunites Rockwell with Tilden who directed him in the award-winning short BigLove, reports Variety. Booth plays a rural teen who loses his best friends in a tragic accident, takes all of his guilt as a survivor, and channels it into a running addiction, becoming a world-class distance runner. This is not unfamiliar ground for Crudup who portrayed Steve Prefontaine in Without Limits, and will play Booth's coach in Life at These Speeds.

The turtles are back again.   The Mirage Group will bring the pizza loving group of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" to the big screen again in a live-action film which goes back to the origins of the crime fighters. Apparently, the film has been targeted for a release some time in 2011, marking the fifth bigscreen trial for the sewer-dwelling warriors.   Legendary Pictures former chief marketing officer Scott Mednick will produce with Galen Walker, the producer of the 2007 cgi pic "Tmnt."   Another live-action film was back in 1990 which Steve Barron helmed. Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, Josh Pais, Michelan Sisti, Leif Tilden and David Forman lead the cast. The characters were first seen in the 1984 comicbook prior to the massively successful toy line in the 90s.  ...

The turtles are back again. The Mirage Group will bring the pizza loving group of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" to the big screen again in a live-action film which goes back to the origins of the crime fighters. Apparently, the film has been targeted for a release some time in 2011, marking the fifth bigscreen trial for the sewer-dwelling warriors. Legendary Pictures former chief marketing officer Scott Mednick will produce with Galen Walker, the producer of the 2007 cgi pic "Tmnt." Another live-action film was back in 1990 which Steve Barron helmed. Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, Josh Pais, Michelan Sisti, Leif Tilden and David Forman lead the cast...

The turtles are back again. The Mirage Group will bring the pizza loving group of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" to the big screen again in a live-action film which goes back to the origins of the crime fighters. Apparently, the film has been targeted for a release some time in 2011, marking the fifth bigscreen trial for the sewer-dwelling warriors. Legendary Pictures former chief marketing officer Scott Mednick will produce with Galen Walker, the producer of the 2007 cgi pic "Tmnt." Another live-action film was back in 1990 which Steve Barron helmed. Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, Josh Pais, Michelan Sisti, Leif Tilden and David Forman lead the cast...