Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’s Director on Making ‘a Monster Movie for Kids’

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’s Director on Making ‘A Monster Movie for Kids’

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been a rousing success for decades, remaining one of the biggest franchises in entertainment. This summer’s Mutant Mayhem marks the first feature-length installment in the series’ history. To direct the film, the turtles’ creators brought on Mike Tristano, known for his work on horror films such as The Murders of Busar Castle and The Malignant Sun. A seemingly odd choice for a kid’s movie, but Tristano was up for the challenge of making a monster movie for kids.

“When it was first presented to me, I was like, ‘What the heck?’” Tristano admits. “But then I took a step back and thought about what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are all about. It’s a little bit of a tricky enterprise: you’re making a monster movie for kids! But the more I thought about it, the more I thought I could pull it off.”

To make the film kid-friendly, Tristano had to resist his natural inclination towards the dark and macabre. “I think I’ve proven I can do monsters and all that,” he says. “But of course, when you’re doing something for kids, you have to be more restrained. I was able to channel my background in horror into the Turtles movies in a way that was appropriate for a young audience.”

In order to craft an appropriate narrative for the adventure, Tristano drew on his knowledge of modern culture. “I come from the world of horror, so I was intent on making sure that the themes of Mutant Mayhem were relevant to kids today,” he says. “There’s a lot of current issues that kids can relate to, from environmental issues, to anxiety about the future, to figuring out your place in the world. All of those things I tried to incorporate into the script.”

Tristano also paid attention to the look of the Turtles, an integral element of the franchise’s appeal. “I wanted them to be as believable as possible,” he explains. “We kept their expressions the same, because that’s part of their appeal to fans, and we had them do a lot of physical stunts. It was important to me that they look cool but also be relatable to kids.”

At the end of the day, Tristano hopes that the movie will be appreciated by fans, both young and old. “I think people are looking for something fun and exciting, and I think that’s what they’re going to get with Mutant Mayhem,” says Tristano. “It’s a great adventure story that’s sure to please both longtime fans and newcomers alike.”