After a five-year run, Nickelodeon‘s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came to a close at the end of 2017, but as that chapter finished, fans knew that there was an all-new series coming down the pipeline. At Toy Fair in NYC last month, I got a first-look at all the new toys on the way from Playmates, presented by a few of the folks involved with the new series. Now, the first trailer for Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is here, and fans are getting their first real look at this 2D re-imagining. It’s a whole new look for the Turtles and their world, as their origin has a new spin. Check it out…
The series features the voice talent of 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 lends his voice as villain, Baron Draxum, an alchemist warrior mutant who seeks to turn all of humanity into mutants.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 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 Turtles also hold distinct personality traits and skills: 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 26-episode series is co-executive produced by Andy Suriano (character designer, Samurai Jack) and Ant Ward (supervising producer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) at Nickelodeon in Burbank, Calif. Veteran animation industry voice actor Rob Paulsen is voice directing the series.
Viewers can visit the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles page on Nick.com and Facebook for more information and follow @TMNT everywhere else for Turtle Power updates.
