Perry will play a scientist named Baxter Stockman, a character who made his debut in the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" comic book and later appeared in the 2003 and Nickelodeon's 2012 animated TV series. The character briefly appeared in the 2014 film, but was played by actor K. Todd Freeman.
Details about Perry's character in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2" are being kept under wraps.
In his original iteration, Baxter Stockman was a brilliant (if slightly paranoid) African-American inventor who enlisted April O'Neill to help him create a series of combative robots called Mousers. Later versions of the character featured Stockman joining Shredder's effects to destroy the turtles, thereby effectively becoming an arch enemy of the crime-fighting reptiles.
Best known for his “Tyler Perry Presents” films for which the multihyphenate acts as writer, producer, director and sometimes star, "TMNT2" is Perry's first film role following his turn as Ben Affleck's top-notch lawyer Tanner Bolt in the 2014 movie "Gone Girl". The Madea creator-actor, 45, has also had significant success on television, as his OWN drama series "If Loving You Is Wrong" was renewed for a second season earlier this year.
News of Perry's role follows Paramount Pictures' recent announcements that Stephen Amell has been cast to play Casey Jones "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II", and that the upcoming sequel will feature Bebop and Rocksteady, two characters that made their first appearance in the 1987 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" cartoon. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2" will also see Megan Fox and Will Arnett return to play their respective characters, April O'Neil and Vern Fenwick.
Director David Green ("Earth to Echo") will take the helm of the next installment in the film franchise, with Michael Bay set to produce alongside his Platinum Dunes partners Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, with Galen Walker and Scott Mednick also producing. Screenwriters Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec ("Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol") are again coming aboard to write the sequel and will also Executive Produce. Plot details and information on other returning cast members are still unknown, however, filming for "TMNT 2" is due to start in New York this month (April 2015). The sequel will be released in theaters on June 3, 2016.
2014's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", which starred Megan Fox and Will Arnett, was a major financial success for Paramount, making $191 million at the US box office and $485M worldwide. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" also packed a major punch with phenomenal sales during its first week of release on Blu-ray and DVD in the USA (Region A/1). The franchise has been such a success that Paramount dated the sequel for 2016 before even locking down a director or cast.
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