We interview the cast of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows!

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

On June 3rd, Paramount Pictures will unleash TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS, which is a return to form for the franchise. An action-heavy ride notably inspired more by the comic books and cartoon series than the last installment, TMNT 2 is almost certain to give the longtime fans of the reptilian crime-fighters what they’ve been waiting to see on the big screen for years.

JoBlo.com was recently invited to the press junket for the sequel, and got to talk shop with a few of the film’s major players. Let’s get to it, dudes!

Returning from the first film is Will Arnett as Vern, April O’Neil’s trusty (if not exactly trustworthy) cameraman. In OUT OF THE SHADOWS, Vern has become an unlikely New York celebrity thanks to his taking credit for the defeat of Shredder the last time around. Predictably, Vern has gone a little overboard with this opportunity. I spoke to Will about returning to the franchise, the chemistry on set with his co-stars, and appearing in not one but two major releases this coming weekend (POPSTAR being the other).

One of the big new additions to the TMNT world this time around is fan favorite Casey Jones, here played by Arrow star Stephen Amell. In this particular version, Casey isn’t quite the brooding anti-hero we might immediately think of; instead he’s a rather optimistic go-getter who hasn’t yet been made cynical by his adventures. Amell and I spoke about this new iteration of Casey, as well as Stephen’s experiences with fanboy expectations and what he personally geeks out about.

Speaking of new characters, TMNT fanatics are surely going to be pleased with the inclusions of Bebop and Rocksteady, the hulking, joking mutant villains who’ve tormented the Turtles for almost three decades. As played by Stephen (Sheamus) Farrelly and Gary Anthony Williams (with the help of some excellent CGI), the two characters finally come to life on the big screen in very amusing fashion. The interview with Sheamus and Williams is quite bonkers, so I’ll just let you watch it for yourselves, but it’s safe to say the chemistry they developed working on the movie is still very much intact.

Tyler Perry may seem like an unusual addition to the TMNT universe, but when you watch the film you see that he appeared to be right at home. As the unscrupulous scientist Baxter Stockman, who assists Shredder in his quest to defeat the Turtles and take over the world, Perry goes into full mad scientist mode, and it’s quite convincing. We spoke about his introduction to the character and TMNT, getting into character, working with a young director and more.

Finally, we have Dave Green, the 32-year-old director of OUT OF THE SHADOWS. With only one feature under his belt before this (EARTH TO ECHO), Green had his work cut out for him, not only budget-wise but in terms of fan expectations as well. Green told me about the major upgrade for his second film, his longtime connection to the Turtles, what made him the right man for this job and what the future holds.