According to AWN, Nickelodeon has bought the rights to TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, but not just the rights to the cartoon. Nickelodeon picked up global rights to everything TURTLE, lock, stock and half-shell, for a tidy $60 million.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shares a comedic sensibility with the Nickelodeon DNA, with added layers of action and fantasy that have kept this property an evergreen favorite with multiple generations of audiences,” said Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. “We are extremely happy to have the opportunity to be able to focus on this property and creatively re-introduce it to a new generation of kids.”
Created by Peter laird and Kevin Eastman, TURTLES started as a comic book parody in 1984 and quickly jumped to TV, becoming a hit show and a cartoon cult classic under Mirage Studios and 4Kids Entertainment. From there TURTLES spawned 4 feature films, a number of games, and a plethora of action figures.
“We enjoyed our eight-year partnership with Mirage during which 4Kids and Mirage re-launched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise for a new generation of kids around the world,” said Alfred Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. “We will also work with Mirage and Viacom so that our Turtles’ licensees can be assured of a seamless transition.”
Nickelodeon also has plans on another TURTLES film in the works, and a new TV series both slated to be out 2012.
