Former 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Actor Accuses Film Director Michael Bay of 'Sodomizing' the Original Franchise TMZ
An actor who voiced one of the original characters in the animated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" films is charging director Michael Bay with "sodomizing" the franchise in his upcoming movie, reports TMZ.com.

Actor Robbie Rist, who voiced the character Michaelangelo, is angry at how Bay has changed the characters’ origin story, the report notes. "TMNT" was also on television during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, with both animated and live-action series.

Bay recently said at a media event that the turtles "are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely lovable.” That's anathema to fans, since the original turtles became mutated after falling through a sewer and coming in contact with radioactive ooze, the story says.

"I know believing in mutated talking turtles is kinda silly to begin with but am I supposed to be led to believe there are ninjas from another planet? The rape of our childhood memories continues," Rist wrote in an letter to Bay, the story says.

At this point though, I've already seen enough poorly done TMNT films (the 3rd and 4th)

Michael Bay Fires Back at 'Ninja Turtles' Fans TheWrap
Director Michael Bay has been taking heat over his upcoming movie version of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” as previously reported, and now he’s firing back, TheWrap.com reports.

His message to fans is to chill out.

The story notes: “The Internet was set ablaze with outrage Monday when the ‘Transformers’ director suggested that he would be changing the back story of beloved nunchuck-wielding shell-dwellers Leonardo, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Donatello.

"’These turtles are from an alien race,’ Bay declared at the Nickelodeon upfront presentation in New York. ‘And they're going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely lovable.’

“Bay's comment sparked online conniption fits among Ninja Turtles fans who had grown up believing that the turtles were, in fact, mutants and ninjas, not aliens.”

Bay responded via an online forum page, the story reports, writing: "Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world."

The Master of Explosions responds