The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been a pop culture staple since its inception in 1984. From comics to cartoons, the beloved turtles have entertained fans for almost four decades. Now, with the upcoming release of TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, fans are in for a treat because they’re gonna see the heroes in a half shell like they never have before. The film will undoubtedly have its fair share of ninja stars, pizza slices, and martial arts action, but it also draws from seminal cinematic explorations of young life based on the writing of the horror maestro Stephen King, explained by director Jeff Lowe.
The filmmaker, who previously co-directed the beautifully animated film The Mitchells Vs The Machines, told Empire Magazine that he aimed to capture the youthful energy of the turtles, voiced by a fresh young cast that includes Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael. He wanted to make “the ultimate teenage coming-of-age film” and explore the inauthentic confidence that teenagers possess. That's something that seems more than apparent in Mutant Mayhem's first trailer. According to the filmmaker, the film Stand By Me, an adaptation of King’s novella "The Body," was a perfect example of what he was going for. Rowe explained:
