Butler's Script Sale of the Week ...
June 24th, 2001
A pretty slow week in the 'ol script sales department. There did manage to be a few potential gems, such as soon to be Michael Stipe produced THE MIRACLE LIFE OF EDGAR MINT, the DMX remake of M (1931), and the superhero script GENE POOL.
My pick this week is the soon to be John Woo produced TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURLES. That's right those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the same ones that were the subject of three live-action Hollywood kiddie flicks, numerous straight to vid and TV cartoons, and countless amounts of related crap merchandise.
The thought of bringing back these devices of corporate vultures disguised as wholesome and hip children's characters would ordinarliy make me want to toss my wheaties, but the news of their return kept my fortified breakfast down for one reason: John Woo will produce.
Mind you, I still felt a bit queasy. This is after all the same John Woo that produced THE BIG HIT(1998) and THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS(1998) two movies with identity crisises and narrational inferiority complexes that dealt with their dysfunctions by just blowing crap up.
But this is also the same John Woo that produced and directed the classic Hong Kong action flicks A BETTER TOMORROW (1986), BULLET IN THE HEAD (1990), and HARD BOILED (1992)(to name a few). He's also the same John Woo that moved stateside and injected the staid old American action movie with a much needed boost of flair and originality in such flicks as FACE/OFF (1997) and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II (2000) (yes, I liked it).
So as long as this is more than a name only involvment for Mr. Woo, I think that Digital Rim Entertainment and Mirage Studios, who purchased the rights to the franchise, may have a good thing on their hands.
Apparently Woo intends to return the TURTLES to their darker and edgier comic book beginnings in this computer animated version. Indeed, the comic was a cult hit, until Hollywood got involved and turned it into a vehicle for selling lunchboxes. Another good sign is that Peter Laird, co-creator of the original TURTLES is also on board to produce.
So, with Woo and Laird on board, all they need now is an excellent director to bring it all together. And, oh yeah, somebody to write the damn script ...
-- Edward Butler
My pick this week is the soon to be John Woo produced TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURLES. That's right those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the same ones that were the subject of three live-action Hollywood kiddie flicks, numerous straight to vid and TV cartoons, and countless amounts of related crap merchandise.
The thought of bringing back these devices of corporate vultures disguised as wholesome and hip children's characters would ordinarliy make me want to toss my wheaties, but the news of their return kept my fortified breakfast down for one reason: John Woo will produce.
Mind you, I still felt a bit queasy. This is after all the same John Woo that produced THE BIG HIT(1998) and THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS(1998) two movies with identity crisises and narrational inferiority complexes that dealt with their dysfunctions by just blowing crap up.
But this is also the same John Woo that produced and directed the classic Hong Kong action flicks A BETTER TOMORROW (1986), BULLET IN THE HEAD (1990), and HARD BOILED (1992)(to name a few). He's also the same John Woo that moved stateside and injected the staid old American action movie with a much needed boost of flair and originality in such flicks as FACE/OFF (1997) and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II (2000) (yes, I liked it).
So as long as this is more than a name only involvment for Mr. Woo, I think that Digital Rim Entertainment and Mirage Studios, who purchased the rights to the franchise, may have a good thing on their hands.
Apparently Woo intends to return the TURTLES to their darker and edgier comic book beginnings in this computer animated version. Indeed, the comic was a cult hit, until Hollywood got involved and turned it into a vehicle for selling lunchboxes. Another good sign is that Peter Laird, co-creator of the original TURTLES is also on board to produce.
So, with Woo and Laird on board, all they need now is an excellent director to bring it all together. And, oh yeah, somebody to write the damn script ...
-- Edward Butler
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