“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” fans, you no longer have to speculate about who’s playing evil mastermind Shredder in the 2014 movie.
Ever since creepy-faced (and awesome) actor William Fichtner announced that he was playing a role in Jonathan Liebesman’s upcoming “TMNT” film, fans had been postulating that he must be playing the steel-masked villain. They were right.
Fichtner confirmed to Huffington Post Canada TV that indeed he will be playing Oroku Saki.
“I play Shredder. It is cool. It’s one of those things that came along where I thought, “Really? Let me think about this for a minute.” [Laughs] Then I was like, “Yeah, OK, this sounds like a journey.” I’m very glad that it worked out, I’m really glad that I’m doing it.”
Fichtner joins an interesting cast; so far the following (among others) have been confirmed: Megan Fox will be playing sassy journalist April O’Neil, Alan Ritchson will be playing Raphael and Will Arnett is playing Vernon Fenwick.
Moviefone visited the set of “TMNT” — so stay tuned for our coverage.
Gallery | 2013 Summer Movie Preview: Action and Superheroes
‘Iron Man 3’
Release Date: May 3 Who’s in It: Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce What It’s About: Tony Stark is back, but this time he has a nemesis: The Mandarin. After Stark’s world is torn apart, he seeks revenge. Why We’re Excited: After the semi-boring journey that was ‘Iron Man 2,’ we want something exciting to reel us back into the franchise. If anyone can do it, it’s RDJ.
‘Fast & Furious 6’
Release Date: May 24 Who’s in It: Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez What It’s About: Agent Hobbs enlists the aid of Dom and his team to help bring a rival gang to justice. In exchange for clear records, they must put an end to their schemes once and for all. Why We’re Excited: Fast cars and race sequences are what summer movies are all about, aren’t they? Plus The Rock.
‘Man Of Steel’
Release Date: June 14 Who’s in It: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon What It’s About: When a group of extraterrestrials invade Earth, mild-mannered Clark Kent (aka Superman) must face his alien past to help save humanity. Why We’re Excited: Have you seen the trailer? It’ll be awesome to see new life injected into this franchise — especially with the darker and more serious tone.
‘World War Z’
Release Date: June 21 Who’s in It: Brad Pitt, James Badge Dale, Mireille Enos What It’s About: A UN employee races against time to stop a zombie pandemic that’s defeating armies and whole governments. He’s basically tasked with saving his family while trying to save humanity. Why We’re Excited: Brad Pitt’s pretty great when he’s tackling action roles, and it feels like it’s been a while. Also we can appreciate the beauty of a high-budget zombie flick.
‘White House Down’
Release Date: June 28 Who’s in It: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal What It’s About: While on a tour of the White House with his daughter, a Capitol policeman faces off against an armed group of invaders to help save the President. Why We’re Excited: Lately, Tatum has really won us over, whether he’s in an action movie or stripping down to his underwear. We think he’ll deliver another winning performance as an action hero.
‘The Lone Ranger’
Release Date: July 3 Who’s in It: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner What It’s About: Native American warrior Tonto recounts the tales that transformed John Reid from a man of law into a legend of justice. Why We’re Excited: Aside from seeing Depp in another character role, this is a classic story that might benefit from a modern retelling.
‘R.I.P.D.’
Release Date: July 19 Who’s in It: Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon, Jeff Bridges What It’s About: A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him. Why We’re Excited: A Ryan Reynolds-Jeff Bridges buddy movie? It could go horribly wrong but we’re hoping it’ll go horribly right. Reynolds has some redeeming to do after “Green Lantern,” anyway.
‘Red 2’
Release Date: July 19 Who’s in It: Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich What It’s About: The group of retired assassins are at it again, but this time with some new friends along for the ride. Why We’re Excited: “Red” was such a pleasant surprise, and we love this coming-together of classic action heroes and character actors. Also: Helen Mirren with a gun.
‘The Wolverine’
Release Date: July 26 Who’s in It: Hugh Jackman, Famke Janssen, Will Yun Lee What It’s About: Wolverine takes a trip to Japan (why not?), and has an encounter with an adversary from his past. Why We’re Excited: Wolverine. Kicking ass. That’s enough for us.
‘2 Guns’
Release Date: August 2 Who’s in It: Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Paula Patton What It’s About: A DEA agent and an undercover Naval Intelligence officer, tasked with investigating one another, find out they’ve been set up by the Mafia. Why We’re Excited: “Lethal Weapon” 2013. That is all.
‘Kick-Ass 2’
Release Date: August 16 Who’s in It: Chloe Grace Moretz, Jim Carrey, Aaron Taylor-Johnson What It’s About: The costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins up with normal citizens who’ve been inspired to fight crime. The Red Mist plots an act of revenge that only Kick-Ass can stop. Why We’re Excited: The first “Kick-Ass” was so great and full of ass-kickery we’re dying for more. An older Moretz should also be interesting to watch.
‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’
Release Date: August 23 Who’s in It: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Lena Headey, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers What It’s About: When her mom is attacked by a demon and taken from their home, an “ordinary” teenage girl, Clary Fray, finds out truths about her past on her quest to get her back. Why We’re Excited: This movie has so much hype around it, we can’t even put it into words. Prepare yourself for a “Twilight”-like reaction, folks!
