The following interview was performed through e-mail on June 25, 2001. It pertains to the news about a new CGI TMNT feature film and television series.

MIKEY: I want to begin by congratulating you on the new book. It's something we -- the Turtle fans -- look forward to getting our grubby hands on real soon! From what I've seen, it looks awesome!

PETER: Thank you. I'm still having fun working on it, which is to me a good sign.

MIKEY: Now, June 21 was an exciting day for TMNT fans everywhere. I must have received at least 50 e-mails just alerting me about the news on Variety.com.

Variety stated that a deal had been "inked." After being questioned on the
status of the project, your TMNT buddy Dan Berger replied that no signing or finalizing had occurred -- only that you, Mr. Woo, and Digital Rim had expressed mutual interest in releasing a fourth movie. Just how far have the talks for the production gone?

PETER: I believe Dan's characterization of what has transpired is pretty accurate. I'm not actually 100% sure that nothing has been signed -- I'll have to double-check with the CEO of Mirage, Gary Richardson -- but there may have been some kind of short-form option agreement signed. Production discussions have not gone beyond the "Let's work together on a TMNT movie" stage -- this thing is really just beginning.

MIKEY: John Woo is a tremendous director...

PETER: No argument there! While he may personally never get involved (as a director) with this proposed TMNT movie, if he did choose to I would love to work with him.

MIKEY: How did he and Digital Rim become involved in this project?

PETER: I believe Digital Rim has a relationship of some sort with Rainbow Studios, with whom we have been working on a TMNT animation project.

MIKEY: Given the source and depth of the article, it seems like this project has some great potential.  I hope that it doesn't soon disappear as past projects, including work on a fourth movie, have.

PETER: You and me both! Someday, I'd like to tell the story behind the aborted fourth movie and the blood, sweat, and tears involved. On second thought, maybe I really don't need to revisit that period of intense aggravation!

MIKEY: The article states that the pilot to new animated show has been produced and is being "shopped" at networks. Does this mean that it has actually been completed and being proposed to networks like SciFi and WB, or is it still being planned out?

PETER: What has been produced so far, and is being shown to networks, is not what I have, in the past, thought of as a "pilot" -- but I have since been told by people who should know that these days, this CAN be considered a pilot... so that's what we'll call it. I would describe it as a roughly five minute-long "proof-of-concept" video which is in a sort of "movie trailer" form. Rainbow Studios produced it with lots of input from Mirage -- and it was great fun for me to work on it with them. It's CGI with a cool twist, and I have to say (while admitting that I am biased) Rainbow did a kick-butt job on it. I've watched the thing dozens of time and I still get chills.

MIKEY: If it is done and finds a network in the next few months, how soon can we see it on television?

PETER: Given how these things work, I don't think we'll see it anytime earlier than mid-to-late 2002.

MIKEY: You are often credited to bringing the Turtles back to their "edgier" roots. Does this mean that if a new comic book and new movie are going to be darker and grittier, that the animated show is going to be the same; or dare I say, based on the new comic series?

PETER: As the saying goes, "There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip" -- that's my way of saying that while I am going to try my best to make this new show much closer to the spirit of the original Mirage TMNT comics, I'm sure there will be some compromises made for the purposes of reaching a broader audience. That being said, if this show happens it's going to be VERY different from the old cartoon series -- there will be no Bebop and Rocksteady, for example... and if there's an Utrom in the show, it WON'T be like Krang (i.e. ridiculous). The Shredder will not be a buffoon. Some of the cool characters included in the clip are Casey Jones, a Destroyer Mechanoid, a Shredder Elite, Triceratons, and a new and really nasty version of the Mousers, among others. I'm hoping that soon we'll be posting still frames from the clip on the TMNT site.

MIKEY: Well, Mr. Laird. I would like to thank you for your time, and patience with my prodding questions. I wish you, Jim Lawson, and the rest of Mirage Studios the best of luck on all future and current projects. We're all looking forward to this Fall's comic release, and next Winter's new movie!!

PETER: My pleasure, Michael. In closing, I'd like to reiterate something that Dan Berger referred to in his comments about the John Woo/TMNT movie press release, and that is this: Contrary to what some TMNT fans think, we at Mirage have not been sitting on our hands these last few years... but we also don't want to announce things prematurely, get fans all excited, and then be let down when things don't come together as we hoped they would. I am reminded of what it was like back in 1987, when Kevin and I were making our deal with Playmates Toys, and we were working with them on toy concepts and designs, and with Murakami/Wolf on the animated series -- and, on the wise advice of our licensing agent at the time, Mark Freedman, didn't tell a soul (outside of our immediate families and close friends, who were sworn to secrecy). It was REALLY difficult, biting our tongues like that, but it paid off -- because when we finally announced the projects in one of the Mirage TMNT comics (can't remember which issue exactly), the momentum by that point was such that it was HIGHLY unlikely that the toys and/or the show would not come to fruition.

Two days later, Peter Laird sent this email:

Michael, Just wanted to add this additional clarification to my previous answers: There IS a signed option agreement between Digital Rim and Mirage Studios. Also, you might want to check the bottom of the page of the latest "Blast From The Past".

--Peter Laird

Many thanks to Peter Laird for granting Mikey's TMNT Page this interview! Several friends and I had the pleasure of having dinner with Mr. Kevin Eastman about a year ago, and once again this passed July... and one thing about these guys is that they don't act like celebrities. Humility is a grand virtue.