A sequel to last year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot is on the way, and a new name is joining the ranks: Arrow star Stephen Amell has landed the part of Casey Jones, a masked vigilante – sound familiar? – who carries a hockey stick as his weapon of choice.
The news comes courtesy of Variety, who reports that Amell was among a half-dozen different actors who tested for the part over the weekend. Amell was able to win over producers thanks to his chemistry with Megan Fox, who reprises her role as April O’Neil for the sequel. Described as “a loner who becomes an ally of the turtles and a love interest for O’Neil,” the character of Casey Jones was originally played by Elias Koteas in the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles flick produced by New Line.
Amell seems to be a solid choice for the role – he’s charismatic, athletic, has a good sense of humor, and already has experience playing another masked crimefighter. The addition of Casey Jones to the sequel should give old-school TMNT fans something to look forward to, and there are rumors that classic villains Bebop and Rocksteady will also make an appearance in the second film.
David Green will direct the sequel, which is rumored to be called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Half Shell. Will Arnett also joins the aforementioned Fox in reprising his role from the first film – in fact, he shot a few scenes last week with Victoria’s Secret supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio, who will be making her film debut.
Production on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 is expected to be fully underway by mid-April, and the film is currently eyeing a June 3, 2016 release date. Paramount and Platinum Dunes have declined to comment on the casting news. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
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