Paramount Pictures subsidiary Nickelodeon Movies in association with Platinum Dunes and Mednick Productions are getting ready to begin production on the live-action feature film “Ninja Turtles,” based on the legendary comic book series by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Casting directors are holding auditions for starring, co-starring, and supporting roles. The extras casting director will be hiring featured and general background performers throughout filming, which is taking place from April 13 through July 31, 2013. Shooting will be at the largest and most sophisticated studio complex outside of Hollywood, Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. Additional principal photography will take place at various locations in New York City and surrounding areas.
“Ninja Turtles” is not a prequel or sequel to the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” film franchise from the 90’s or the 2007 CGI animated film. This will be a live-action film with Motion Capture Performance used extensively such as in the James Cameron film “Avatar” and “The Rise of the Planet of the Apes”. The story centers on a team of four teen humanlike turtles named Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. They are trained in the ways of the Ninja by their Sensei and father figure Splinter, who is a patient and wise master. This version will feature the beautiful and brave April O’Neil, who is a great human friend and companion to the turtles. Also featured is the primary villain and antagonist Shredder, the leader of the Foot Clan – an opposing group of Ninjas who are feared warriors and assassins. This film will expand on ideas that TMNT comics co-creator Kevin Eastman has always wanted to do, but never had the opportunity.
Starring in “Ninja Turtles” is the very talented and amazing three-time Teen Choice Awards winner Megan Fox in the lead role of April O’Neil. Fox is perfectly cast in the role, as she has intentionally broken away from her former sex symbol label and become a sought after talent for mainstream roles. Also starring is newcomer Pete Ploszek playing Leonardo; Noel Fisher, who played Vladimir in “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part II” is portraying Michelangelo; “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Men in Black II” actor Jeremy Howard has been cast as Donatello; and Alan Ritchson, who played Gloss in the upcoming “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” is playing Raphael.
Hollywood Young Filmmaker Award winner Jonathan Liebesman is directing “Ninja Turtles” from an adapted screenplay written by the Writers Guild of America WGA Award nominated writing team of Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec. Jonathan Liebesman is also working closely with Kevin Eastman in order to stay true to the mythology of the comics, while still expanding on it. Liebesman’s film directing credits include “Battle Los Angeles,” and the box-office mega success “Wrath of the Titans”. Liebesman studied filmmaking at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec wrote the screenplay for “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” and have written and produced numerous television series. In January 2013, Evan Daugherty was brought on board to do rewrites on the script. His credits include “Snow White and the Huntsman,” “Killing Season,” and “Divergent”.
The critically acclaimed Directors Guild of America WGA Award winning filmmaker Michael Bay is producing under the banner of his production company Platinum Dunes, along with his executives Bradley Fuller and Andrew Form. Bay played a big part in getting Megan Fox cast in the film, as he directed her in “Transformers” and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”. He recently directed and produced the upcoming Paramount Pictures feature film “Pain & Gain” starring Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg. Bay will soon begin directing the “Untitled Transformers Sequel“. Scott Mednick is producing for Mednick Productions along with TMNT Productions’ Galen Walker. Executive Producers are Denis L. Stewart, and Eric J. Crown.
In October of 2009, Viacom – the parent company of Paramount Pictures and it’s subsidiary Nickelodeon Movies – acquired the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property rights from Peter Laird (TMNT comics co-creator) and his Mirage Studios for $9.75 million. On May 27, 2010 Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production company landed the rights to the new feature film ‘Ninja Turtles’ from Paramount Pictures, which has a first-look deal with Platinum Dunes. Peter Laird, who has been very critical of the new project especially casting, is not involved in any capacity with the production. A January 30, 2012 draft of the screenplay was leaked online, and since the cease and desist order was issued to the website that posted the script, extensive rewrites have been done to Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec’s original drafts.
Minors and foreign talent must be legally eligible to work in the state of New York and in the United States.
The 2013 New York Actors Resource Guide eBook comes with free quarterly updates and includes the following information and documents for adults, minors, and foreign talent who would like to work as an actor or extra on film and television productions in New York and the United States:
• New York Child Performer Information Sheet
• New York Child Performer Permit Combined Application
• New York Child Performer Trust Accounts Information
• New York Verification of Satisfactory Academic Performance
• New York Child Performer Employer Certificate Combined Application
• USA Child Actor Work Permit Requirements – State Statues
• USA Immigration Work Permits and Visas
• USA Non-Immigrant Visa Application
In addition to the following New York Actors Resources:
• Audition Tips
• How To Make an Audition Video
• New York Casting Directors List
• New York Extras Casting Directors List
• New York Talent Agents List
• General Talent Agent Information
• New York Acting Classes List
• New York Headshot Photographers List
• Actors Unions
• Sample Actors Resume
• Sample Beginning Actors Resume
• Sample Cover Letters
• Entertainment Industry Terminology
• Miscellaneous New York Resources
• PDF Users Guides
The 2013 Actors Resource Guide eBooks are available here.
Principal Actor Casting
See the post titled Headshot and Resume Information regarding how to submit for acting roles.
Submit photos and resumes by mail only.
No phone calls or personal drop-offs.
Los Angeles:
Tannis Vallely
Debra Zane
5225 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 536
Los Angeles, CA 90036
New York:
Kathleen Chopin
12 W. 32nd Street
Suite 12
New York, NY 10001
Extras Casting
New York:
Grant Wilfley Casting
123 W 18th Street
8th Floor
New York, NY 10011
Production Companies:
Do NOT send photos and resumes to the production companies, as they will most likely end up being thrown away. They do not cast the films, rather they hire casting directors who sort through the thousands of submissions.
Ninja Turtles Production Office
c/o Steiner Studios
15 Washington Avenue
Suite 3365
Brooklyn, NY 11205
Paramount Overseas Productions, Inc.
5555 Melrose Avenue
Bungalow 1
Los Angeles, CA 90038
TMNT Productions
5555 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Mednick Productions
5555 Melrose Avenue
Marx Brothers Building
Room 200
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Platinum Dunes
631 Colorado Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Nickelodeon Movies
5555 Melrose Avenue
Lubitsch Annex
Room 119
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Paramount Pictures
15 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
Executive Producers: Eric J. Crown, Denis L. Stewart
Producers: Michael Bay, Bradley Fuller, Andrew Form, Jason Reed, Galen Walker, Scott Mednick
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Starring:
Megan Fox – April O’Neil
Alan Ritchson – Raphael
Pete Ploszek – Leonardo
Jeremy Howard – Donatello
Noel Fisher – Michaelangelo
To Be Cast – Shredder
To Be Cast – Splinter
Story:
A live-action film focusing on the origins of the iconic sewer-dwelling heroes Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael as well as their master Splinter, and dear friend and companion April O’Neil. The film will not be a pure action movie, but will also focus quite a bit on a story about brotherhood, friendship, loyalty and responsibility.
