Hollywood director/producer Michael Bay has his fair share of critics, those who say his films are all spectacle and no heart. But when it comes to breathing life into properties long thought dead, no one seems to do it better.

By reviving horror franchises such as Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre through his Platinum Dunes production company, Bay has demonstrated an ability to give fans what they want from an old favourite. Which may be why Paramount and Nickelodeon have brought Bay on board to reboot the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Those radioactive karate-chopping ninjas first hit the silver screen way back in 1990. Two live-action sequels followed in the 90s, including the now legendary TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze starring Vanilla Ice. And a fourth film released in 2007, TMNT, turned the Turtles’ world into total CGI.

Now Deadline reports that, after snagging the rights to the Turtles last October for a cool $60 million, Nickelodeon have announced their intention to return the franchise to live-action. Bay, along with his Platinum Dunes partners Brad Fuller and Andrew Form will oversee the relaunch of the iconic characters and begin meeting with writers in a few weeks.

The Ninja Turtles began life as crudely drawn tough guys in black and white comics created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird back in 1984. The four wise-cracking martial arts masters went on to became an 80s pop-culture phenomenon.

(Photo by PR Photos)

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