In a truly moving interview, Michael Bay shared the inspiration for his work on the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies. Surprisingly, it turns out that despite the clear connections to the classic animated series, Bay said that his greatest source of influence for both the first movie and Out of the Shadows was actually Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.

This came as a shock to the person interviewing the executive producer, as the film was arguably the least successful Ninja Turtles film that had ever been made. Bay elaborated with the following statement:

“I don’t know, man. I always loved the idea of the turtles going back in time and meeting actual samurai warriors and stuff. I always thought there weren’t enough explosions in [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III], but it had such promise and it was such an awesome idea.”

“The story was beautifully moving, and it made me want to make my own movie in the franchise. I knew that these alien turtles had more to tell us about the universe and time travel, which is why I think fans will be really happy with what we’ve done in [Out of the Shadows]. It’s going to blow your minds.”

When asked whether or not this meant there would be a connection between the two films, Bay laughed heartily for a solid two minutes and proceeded to wink incessantly at the interviewer. Sadly, there is no confirmation about whether or not such a connection exists, but Bay’s noted influence over the film series would seem to indicate that this may in fact be the case.

Despite its lack of success at the box office, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III has since become a much beloved cult classic that has unarguably inspired many filmmakers and artists. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we can’t wait to see the possible connections between everyone’s favorite TMNT movie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

Oh, and by the way – April Fools!