Michael Bay Tries To Assuage Backlash To 'Ninja Turtles' Alien Origins

Shooting on director Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot has not even wrapped, and already fans of the original series and movies are crying foul — all due to comments Bay made on his own. "When you see this movie, kids are going to believe one day these turtles actually do exist when we are done with this movie," Bay said at the Nickelodeon upfront presentation last week. "These turtles are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable."

The announcement drew ire from many fans, who remember the talking, half-shell turtles originated from mutant ooze. Actor Robbie Rist, who voiced Michelangelo in the original movies, went as far as penning a letter to Bay accusing him of "sodomizing" the franchise, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Bay responded to the outrage with some Zen advice, saying that the new TMNT will be a blast — not sacrilege. "Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script," he wrote on his web site. "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."