Todd W. Langen

Last updated

Todd W. Langen is an American screenwriter and former engineer, best known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles .

Contents

Early life

Langen was born in Detroit and earned a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan. [1]

He was 30 years old and working on the Space Shuttle for Hughes Aircraft Company when he decided that what he really wanted to do with his life was to be a screenwriter. [1] His first sale was an episode of Pursuit of Happiness, a television comedy series that lasted less than two months. [1]

Career

He soon became a regular writer of The Wonder Years . His biggest success would come when Langen was hired to work on the film adaptation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The original treatment of 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was written by Bobby Herbeck; Langen was brought in by Inga Vainshtein, who ran Limelight Productions film division, to do a "Page One rewrite," that is, a complete revision based on a screenplay that a studio had deemed interesting bur unworkable as submitted. Inga Vainshtein and Langen approached the reworking of the existing script by first figuring out their potential audience base. Vainshtein phoned toy stores around the country, asking about the TMNT buyers, their age, demographic. Figuring out how young the key demographic was, Langen and Vainshtein realized that the script would have to appeal to both kids and their parents. The main story was aimed at kids while the jokes and comedic references would appeal to the parents who would not be opposed to seeing the film more than once. Langen and Herbeck did not work together and did not meet until the film opened. He is listed first in the credits. [1] Langen would return to write the sequel in 1991.

Awards

Related Research Articles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, commonly abbreviated as TMNT, is a media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu who fight evil in New York City. The franchise encompasses printed media, television series', feature films, video games, and merchandise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Eastman</span> American comic book artist and writer

Kevin Brooks Eastman is an American comic book writer and artist best known for co-creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Peter Laird. Eastman was also formerly the editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Gordon</span> American actor

Barry Gordon is an American actor and political talk show host. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995. He is perhaps best known as the original voice of Donatello and Bebop in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (1987 TV series) American animated television series

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Fred Wolf Films, and based on the comic book characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Set in New York City, the series follows the adventures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their allies as they battle the Shredder, Krang, and numerous other villains and criminals. The property was changed considerably from the darker-toned comics, to make it more suitable for children and families.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze</i> 1991 film by Michael Pressman

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 American superhero film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Directed by Michael Pressman and written by Todd W. Langen, it is the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and the second installment in the original Turtles film trilogy. It stars Paige Turco and David Warner, with the voices of Brian Tochi, Robbie Rist, Adam Carl, and Laurie Faso. Resuming from the events of the first film, the Shredder returns at command of the Foot Clan for revenge on the Turtles. When he learns the secret behind the Turtles' mutation, he becomes more dangerous than ever. The film reveals the origins of Splinter and the Turtles and introduces two new villains, Tokka and Rahzar. Unlike the first film, the Turtles mostly fight bare-fisted, to tone down the violence.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III</i> 1993 film directed by Stuart Gillard

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 American superhero film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Written and directed by Stuart Gillard, it is the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), and the third installment in the original Turtles film trilogy. It stars Elias Koteas, Paige Turco, Vivian Wu, Sab Shimono, and Stuart Wilson with the voices of Brian Tochi, Robbie Rist, Corey Feldman, and Tim Kelleher. The plot revolves around the "Sacred Sands of Time", a mystical scepter which transports the Turtles and April back in time to feudal Japan, where they become embroiled in a conflict between a daimyō and a group of rebellious villagers.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (1990 film) 1990 film by Steve Barron

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 American superhero film based on the comic book characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It is the first film adaptation of the characters and was directed by Steve Barron and written by Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck from a story by Herbeck. It stars Judith Hoag and Elias Koteas with the voices of Brian Tochi, Josh Pais, Corey Feldman, and Robbie Rist. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles follows the Turtles on a quest to save their master, Splinter, with their new allies, April O'Neil and Casey Jones, from the Shredder and his Foot Clan.

David Wise was an American television and animation writer, tutored by writers such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Frank Herbert, Harlan Ellison and Theodore Sturgeon whilst attending the Clarion Workshop.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> action figures Action figures based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Action figures based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise have been produced by Playmates Toys since 1988. Staff artists at the Northampton, Massachusetts based Mirage Studios have provided conceptual designs for many of the figures, vehicles, and playsets and are credited on the packaging of the products they created.

Eric Luke is an American writer and director, best known for writing the screenplay for Joe Dante's 1985 film Explorers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Appelbaum</span> American screenwriter and producer

Josh Appelbaum is an American television writer, screenwriter, showrunner and producer.

Robert Schooley is an American screenwriter, television writer and film and television producer. He and Mark McCorkle are the creators of the 2002 animated television series Kim Possible, which aired on Disney Channel. He was also an executive producer of the series, as well as having written scripts for several episodes. He has worked on several DreamWorks Animation shows, including The Penguins of Madagascar, Monsters vs. Aliens, and All Hail King Julien. He also wrote a book called "Liar of Kudzu" with McCorkle. He comes from Levittown, Pennsylvania. From 2017 to 2021, he and McCorkle produced Big Hero 6: The Series, which aired on Disney XD and Disney Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Mendelsohn</span> American screenwriter

Jack Mendelsohn was an American writer-artist who worked in animation, comic strips and comic books. An Emmy-nominated television comedy writer and story editor, he had numerous credits as a TV scripter, including Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Three's Company, The Carol Burnett Show and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Among his work for feature films, he was a co-screenwriter of Yellow Submarine (1968). In 2004, the Animation Writers Caucus of the Writers Guild gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a superhero team created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, have appeared in seven theatrical feature-length films since their debut. The first film was released in 1990, at the height of the franchise's popularity. Despite mixed reviews from critics, it was a commercial success that garnered two direct sequels, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993, both of which were modest successes. An animated film titled TMNT was released in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Marks (screenwriter)</span> American screenwriter

Dennis Marks was an American screenwriter, producer and voice actor, mainly for children's animations. Marks wrote for several big production companies during the 1960s through to the 1990s, including Hanna-Barbera, DC and Marvel. He wrote screenplays and stories for many popular animation shows including Batfink, The Beatles, Dungeons & Dragons and Spider-Man, providing the voice for the Green Goblin in the latter. He also worked as a producer for Children's TV show Wonderama, chat show A.M. New York and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (2014 film) 2014 superhero film directed by Jonathan Liebesman

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 2014 American superhero comedy film based on the characters of the same name created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. A reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series, it was directed by Jonathan Liebesman and written by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and Evan Daugherty. The film stars Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Danny Woodburn, Abby Elliott, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, and Alan Ritchson, with the voices of Johnny Knoxville and Tony Shalhoub. The plot follows the Turtles, who, with the help of their new ally April O'Neil, face the evil Shredder and his Foot Clan, as well as protect their New York City home.

Evan Daugherty is an American screenwriter. He wrote the films Killing Season, Snow White and the Huntsman and the film adaptation of Divergent.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows</i> 2016 superhero film directed by Dave Green

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a 2016 American superhero film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. The sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) and the final film in the reboot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, it was directed by Dave Green and written by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec. The film stars Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Laura Linney, Stephen Amell, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Alan Ritchson, Tyler Perry, Gary Anthony Williams, Brian Tee, and Sheamus. The film follows the Turtles who, after defeating the Shredder, must face an even bigger foe: the dreaded Krang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Herbeck</span> Actor

Robert William Herbeck is an actor, film producer and screenwriter, known for writing the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.

Brendan O'Brien is an American screenwriter, best known for writing 2014 film Neighbors along with Andrew J. Cohen.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "'Turtles' screenwriter nearly lost in space". Calgary Herald. Knight Ridder. 8 April 1990.
  2. ↑ Champlin, Charles (20 March 1990). "Writers Guild Awards Banquet Dishes Up Food for Thought". Los Angeles Times.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.