If it seems like things are moving pretty quickly with this sequel, there’s a reason for that: not only is the film set for release in 2016, but it has already started filming and there are still holes to fill in the cast. It is for this reason that we have seen so much casting news over the past few weeks. Here’s a rundown of the new casting decisions that have been made recently.
- Stephen Amell was cast as Casey Jones
- Tyler Perry was cast as Baxter Stockman
- Brian Tee was cast as Shredder
If you can believe it, there is even more to come, as we have yet to see who will be playing Bebop or Rocksteady, both of whom have been confirmed for this movie. There are some speculations as to who might be cast in at least one of these roles, but no official word as of yet. That being said, of those who have been recently cast, they are already starting to show up on set for principal photography and even a few action scenes.
As we revealed earlier, Stephen Amell has already shown up on set alongside Megan Fox as April O’Neil. We don’t know whether or not this scene is a good representation of what to expect from his look during the whole movie, but even if it is, it’s fair to say that he looks enough like Casey Jones to pull off the role.
We’ve also seen Megan Fox wearing a blonde wig and glasses, presumably as an undercover disguise, but we don’t know whether or not this has anything to do with the foot. For all we know, these undercover photos could be part of a simple story she is doing for her job. By the way, does anyone else get that Michelle Pfeiffer vibe (a la Batman Returns) from her when she’s wearing that costume?
As noted in a previous article, Megan Fox was seen running from the foot clan while holding a canister of purple ooze. Being that the original mutagen in the first film was green, fan speculation has it that this could be retromutagen, which would fit in pretty well with the story of the Ninja Turtles.
In addition to the photos of April and Casey, recent leaked pictures reveal our first look at Tyler Perry as Baxter Stockman. To be honest, I think this might be some of the best casting yet, as Perry looks so much like the Stockman we knew from the original comics that it’s almost eerie. He’s even got that nerdy scientist thing going for him, which is always nice for a role like this.
As if that weren’t enough, there were also photos of the chairs being used on set. If you recall the controversy over the title for the first film, these pictures will probably seem somewhat familiar. Although there are some people saying that the film will be titled “Half Shell,” the on-set pictures of these chairs reveal the title “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II.” My suspicion is that we won’t know the official title for the film until we start to see posters and trailers, which is pretty much the same thing that happened with the first movie.
Whatever the case may be, these on set photos of both new and old cast members are pretty revealing. What do you think? Does Tyler Perry fit the role of Baxter Stockman? Will Stephen Amell make a good Casey Jones? Is the title really going to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!