Actors never like to talk about sequels until they know that the film they have worked on is a bona-fide hit. During the pre-release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for example, the great William Fichtner deflected sequel questions by saying that they’d wait to see if people liked the first one before they put too much attention on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2. Well, the summer blockbuster proved to be a smash, earning $477 million worldwide. The film is already available on Digital HD and will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on Dec. 16. So when we spoke with Fichtner this afternoon, I mentioned the sequel… and he was happy to share details.
Paramount already circled a June 3, 2016 release date for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, and the screenwriters are hard at work figuring out who will be involved and what the sequel will entail. "I don’t think our writers are going to have a problem coming up with interesting things to talk about," Fichtner joked with me. But when we talked about the sequel, we discussed how everyone involved can come at it from a different perspective – a triumphant perspective. The first movie was a hit. The people involved can come back with momentum, and ask the studio to go along with certain requests to continue the vision.
Knowing that they have that chip on the table, and that momentum in their corner, I asked Fichtner what he hopes that they are able to do differently in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, and he had some very interesting ideas:
There’s some very interesting things that even the first movie touches on of the origins of everything. And I’d love to explore [that]. But you know, there are so many avenues to go down now in the history of what the Turtles have been, with past storylines, and the origins of the movie [universe] itself."
In fact, news already is starting to spread that fan favorites Bebop, Rocksteady and Casey Jones are being considered for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, so William Fichtner’s wish likely will be granted.
Here’s what we do know about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2. Earth to Echo director David Green has been hired to take over the series. And we can expect Megan Fox to reprise her role as April O’Neil. The movie is looking to meet a June 3, 2016 release date… with William Fichtner back in the fold as the megalomaniac Eric Sachs. What else do you want to see in a second Turtles movie?
