A reboot of the Ninja Turtle franchise has been shut down by Paramount, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter. Apparently the film was in pre-production in Vancouver when a stop work order was issued by studio execs.
An unsatisfactory script was the reason given in the report for pulling the plug. Now, pre-production staff has been temporarily laid off and informed that work stoppage was “indefinite.” However, another source told the THR the project, initially scheduled for a December 2013 release, has been pushed back to May 2014.
Wrath of the Titans director, Jonathan Liebesman, is set to direct the reportedly ‘effects heavy’ film. Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes will produce the movie which was scribed by Kevin Eastman, Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec. Other big names attached to the movie include Bourne franchise line producer Denis Stewart and second-unit director Dan Bradley (Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol).
The move follows a recent outcry of Michael Bay’s plans to put an alien spin on the turtle origins as well as, Paramount’s decision to delay a number of their big 2013 projects such as G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Brad Pitt’s World War Z.
There has been no official word from Paramount about the shutdown.
