KEVIN MUNROE, writer/director of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and The Weinstein Company’s “TMNT,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo courtesy of Imagi Production Limited / Warner Bros. Pictures TMNT ™, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ®, Donatello ™, Leonardo ™, Michelangelo ™, Raphael ™, Shredder ™, Splinter ™, April O'Neil ™ and related characters, logos, names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of, and copyrighted by, Mirage Studios, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved.
KEVIN MUNROE (Director/Writer) has spent the last decade in the animation industry, working on television shows, feature films, comic books and video games. “TMNT” marks his feature film directorial debut, although his experience in the animation arena ranges from screenplays to production design to direction.
He has worked as a writer, artist and director for such companies as Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, Fox, The Jim Henson Company, Stan Winston Studios and Nickelodeon. He also wrote the critically acclaimed comic book series El Zombo Fantasma, which he co-created with Dave Wilkins for Dark Horse Comics, and Olympus Heights from IDW Publishing.
Munroe also created, scripted and produced the international Christmas special “Donner” for ABC Family and TV-Loonland.
Cited by Animation Magazine as one of the “Rising Stars of CGI,” Munroe is currently writing the screenplay for Imagi Studios’ next CG-animated motion picture, based on Japan’s popular “Gatchaman” anime franchise, which he will also direct for a 2008 release.
THOMAS K. GRAY (Producer) currently serves as the President and CEO of Imagi USA.
Previously, as the head of production for Golden Harvest, Gray was the architect of the original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” film franchise. Released in the early 1990s, the TMNT film trilogy collectively earned more than $256 million domestically. The first, 1990’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” held the record for the highest-grossing independent movie for seven years. During his tenure at Golden Harvest, Gray was also involved in several internationally successful Jackie Chan films, including “The Protector.”
Gray has had over 30 years of experience, encompassing production, marketing and distribution in the global motion picture industry. Over the course of his career, he has also held management positions with United Artists, Warner Bros. and CIC (Paramount/Universal partnership). He was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Imagi USA in 2004.
In addition to producing “TMNT,” Gray was a producer on Imagi’s new “Highlander: The Search for Vengeance,” an anime movie from acclaimed Japanese director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, which is scheduled for release in June 2007.
Imagi USA is currently developing two CG-animated superhero properties: a feature film based on “Gatchaman,” the long-running Japanese anime franchise for release in 2008; and a feature film version of “Astro Boy,” which follows the adventures of the cartoon character who was first introduced as manga in the 1950s and gained international popularity on television in the 1960s.
H. GALEN WALKER (Producer) is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Imagi USA.
Prior to entering the film industry, Walker spent a decade as a studio and touring lead guitarist, performing with such artists as Kingdom Come, The Runaways and Cellmates. Segueing to motion pictures, Walker established himself as a sound designer and post-production sound supervisor. His credits include Sofia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides,” and “Blind Horizon,” starring Val Kilmer, to name only a few.
Walker went on to open his own independent post-production sound company and subsequently developed a joint venture known as Pacifica Media Affiliates (PMA), consisting of five Hollywood sound studio facilities. Following the successful acquisition of PMA by Technicolor, Walker joined Imagi USA in 2004 as its COO.
“TMNT” marks Walker’s first film as a producer. He is also a producer on Imagi’s “Highlander: The Search for Vengeance,” directed by acclaimed anime director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who brings his distinctive visual style to the immortal Colin MacLeod’s quest for revenge in the future. The film is slated for release in June 2007.
PAUL WANG (Producer) has been involved in filmmaking and computer graphics for the last 20 years. After running Four-D, his own boutique animation house in New York, Wang entered the computer-generated visual effects industry, where he created FX for such movies as “Batman Forever” and “The Peacemaker.”
Wang later joined PDI/DreamWorks where, for almost a decade, he worked on such groundbreaking animated features as the company’s first animated feature, “Antz,” the Oscar-winning “Shrek,” and the more recent hit “Madagascar.” He also worked on the theme park ride “Shrek 4D,” and DreamWorks Television’s computer animated series “Father of the Pride.”
Wang joined Imagi Studios in 2005 as Chief Creative Officer and Chief Technical Officer.
He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Communications Design from the Pratt Institute and a Bachelors Degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
FRANCIS KAO (Executive Producer) founded Imagi Studios in 2000. In addition to his roles as Deputy Chairman & Co-Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for the company’s overall creative vision and strategy.
Kao’s additional credits as an executive producer include Imagi’s CG-animated television series “Zentrix” (2002), the 2005 CG feature film “Digital Monster X-Evolution,” and the upcoming anime film “Highlander: The Search for Vengeance,” due out in June 2007. His future projects include CG-animated feature films based on “Gatchaman” and “Astro Boy.”
Kao was born and raised in Hong Kong, where Imagi is headquartered. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento, where he studied business and finance.
PETER LAIRD (Executive Producer), sole owner of Mirage Studios, Inc., co-created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1984 and, since the dissolution of the partnership with co-creator Kevin Eastman in 2000, has been the major creative force behind the revival of the TMNT property in television, film and merchandise.
In addition to executive producing the TMNT movie, Mr. Laird was a key creative consultant on the script and all the major character designs for the film.
GARY RICHARDSON (Executive Producer) is CEO of the Mirage Group, the group of companies that, for the last 20 years, have managed, nurtured and protected the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property, one of the most successful and respected children’s entertainment and merchandising properties of all time.
FREDERICK U. FIERST (Executive Producer) has represented Mirage Studios and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property for the past 20 years.
In addition, he represents numerous high profile clients and properties in the toy, television, interactive, film and licensing industries. His specialties include packaging and structuring television and film projects, and negotiating agreements for video game development and distribution, as well as for toys, comic books, home video and other merchandising activities. He also coordinates worldwide intellectual property registration and protection activities for a number of his clients.
FELIX IP (Co-Producer) has been with Imagi Studios since it was set up in 2000. Based in Hong Kong, Ip served as director and art director on the company’s first production, the prize-winning television series “Zentrix,” which was aired in Europe and Asia. He subsequently worked at Imagi as the Hong Kong creative director on DreamWorks Television’s “Father of the Pride,” the first network primetime fully computer-animated series, which premiered on NBC in August 2004.
Currently, Ip is Imagi’s Creative Director and Head of Development in Asia. Prior to joining the group, he had over 10 years of experience in graphic design, multimedia development and games production.
Ip has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
MICHAEL J. ARNOLD (Line Producer) has been part of the independent film community for several years. Most notably, he has worked with Golden Harvest Films and Rim Film Distributors. “TMNT” marks his first producer credit.
KLAUS BADELT (Composer) has composed the scores for a wide range of films, from mainstream hits to smaller independent releases. His recent film credits include Wolfgang Petersen’s “Poseidon”; Kurt Wimmer’s “Ultraviolet”; Richard Donner’s “16 Blocks”; China’s Golden Globe-nominated feature “The Promise”; “Constantine,” starring Keanu Reeves; and the blockbuster “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” for director Gore Verbinski.
Badelt began composing for films in his native Germany and built his Hollywood career though collaborations with such composers as Hans Zimmer and Michael Kamen. His first American feature as a sole composer was Sean Penn’s “The Pledge,” starring Jack Nicholson. His other early film credits included Werner Herzog’s “Invincible”; Kathryn Bigelow’s “K-19: The Widowmaker,” starring Harrison Ford; Kurt Wimmer’s “Equilibrium”; Roger Donaldson’s “The Recruit,” teaming Al Pacino and Colin Farrell; “Ned Kelly,” starring Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom; and “Basic,” starring John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson.
In addition, Badelt has composed additional score music for such films as “Gladiator,” “Mission: Impossible II” “Hannibal” and “Pearl Harbor.”
JOHN DAMIEN RYAN (Editor) counts “TMNT” as his first feature film as an editor. He previously worked as an assistant editor on the direct-to-video release “The Lion King 1?.” He also served as an assistant visual effects editor on the films “Kangaroo Jack” and “Reign of Fire.”
Ryan began his animation career as a production assistant on such films as “Mulan” and “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.”
SIMON MURTON (Production Designer) has worked in the art department on more than 30 live-action features. “TMNT” marks his first animated film credit.
He served as the art director on Alex Proyas’ action thriller “The Crow” and the sci-fi actioner “Fortress,” and as the assistant art director on “Super Mario Bros.” Murton’s additional credits include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Island,” “I, Robot,” “The Matrix Revolutions,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Galaxy Quest,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “What Dreams May Come” and “Stargate.”
KITH NG (Visual Effects Supervisor) began his career in Japan a decade ago as a freelance CG animator. Over the past eight years, he has worked on more than 60 television spots for such major companies as Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. The Chinese Coca-Cola commercial entitled “Clay Dolls,” on which Ng served as a senior animator, was selected to screen at Siggraph 2001.
Ng has also worked as a CG supervisor on the Stephen Chow-directed feature “Kung Fu Hustle,” as well as several games, including Ubisoft’s “Splinter Cell” and “Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow.”
KIM OOI (Supervising Animator) has worked in animation in such far-flung locations as Vancouver, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Los Angeles.
A graduate of Vancouver Film School, Ooi began his animation career in local commercials, as well as children’s cartoons. He subsequently created storyboards for commercials at major advertising agencies in Shanghai and Hong Kong. He also supervised TV cartoons at an animation house in Hangzhou, China.
Ooi served as animation director on Imagi’s 3D-animated television series “Zentrix.” Working at Imagi in Hong Kong, he was also an animation supervisor on DreamWorks Television’s “Father of the Pride,” the first fully CG-animated primetime series.
