Three-time Oscar-nominated actress Laura Linney (The Squid in the Whale) will be joining everyone’s favorite heroes in half-shell for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her specific role hasn’t been revealed yet but she is the latest in the sequel’s casting announcements this week, which also included Brian Tee (The Wolverine), who will play the villain Shredder, and Tyler Perry (Gone Girl), who will take on the role of the evil scientist, Baxter Stockman.
This marks a change for Linney, who is mostly known for her dramatic work. Since she starred in 1993’s Congo, the only film she’s been in that could be considered close to a blockbuster is The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005). Most recently she was in a pair of commercially disappointing biopics – The Fifth Estate (2013) and Hyde Park on the Hudson (2012). She will next appear in the Sherlock Holmes drama Mr. Holmes as Mrs. Monroe, as well as biopic about famous book editor Max Perkins, called Genius.
With the recent casting announcements – which also include Stephen Amell (TV’s Arrow) as Casey Jones – it looks like TMNT 2 will more closely resemble the cartoon than the previous live-action iterations of the franchise. The first movie had appearances from April O’Neil’s (Megan Fox) fellow reporter, Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett), and her boss Bernadette Thompson (Whoopi Goldberg), the latter of whom was a new take on the animated series’ Burne Thompson. It’s possible Linney’s involvement could add to the list of characters from the show if she were to play Channel 6 TV Associate Irma Langinstein, though that character was April’s age on the show, so it’s also possible Linney is playing a completely new character.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 is currently filming in New York and is set for a June 3, 2016 release.
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