Late last year, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans were dealt a real blow. Paramount reportedly cancelled work on the highly anticipated film based on The Last Ronin, a particularly brutal comic book interpretation of the ninja turtles.
No official reason was given, but it seems that Paramount didn't want any R-rated turtles and would rather focus on more family-friendly ninja entertainment. Unfortunately, we now have even more depressing news related to this, as Judith Hoag was apparently involved in the film adaptation.
The name may not ring a bell, but she is the actress who played April O'Neil in the 1990 film and became the first movie crush of many young boys. She appeared at Big Lick Comic-Con in Virginia (thanks Collider) and revealed that she had been approached to play the older The Last Ronin version of April. Hoag would have loved to do this, but doesn't seem to completely rule out the possibility that it might happen anyway:
"Yes, I've been approached, and I'd be happy. It would be a great bookend for me. And maybe that happens and maybe it doesn't. We'll see."
Judith Hoag is, of course, perfectly suited for the role in every way and is also the right age, and it would allow the film to fit in better with the earlier productions. But... whether it will ever happen remains to be seen, and for now, we will have to settle for more child-friendly ninja turtles rather than anything that is not suitable for children.