Ubisoft picks up Turtles movie tie-in license

Following the announcement that Warner Bros is to produce a new movie based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles license, Ubisoft has picked up the rights to develop and publish a videogame tie-in.

The games are slated for a release in early 2007 alongside the feature length CG film, which is being produced by Imagi Animation Studios. According to a statement announcing the licensing deal, "The PG-rated movie will derive its tone from the original comic-book series and will be grittier than the previous live action pictures."

The Turtles license was previously owned by Konami, with the most memorable game being the 1989 side-scrolling arcade title. Game sales have dwindled in recent years but the Turtles remain popular, and the TV show, produced by 4Kids Entertainment, is still shown in 90 territories worldwide.

"Ubisoft is thrilled to be bringing the Turtles back in an exciting new adventure that will attract both the first generation of enthusiasts all the way through to the current and future generations of fans," said Christian Salomon, director of licensing at Ubisoft.

4Kids CEO Alfred R. Kahn added: "We are confident Ubisoft's commitment to quality, strong international distribution and presence in the worldwide video game market will complement the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie experience and help generate added excitement for the Turtles brand."