Last weekend, Michael Bay caused an uproar of fanboy controversy when he said the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie will give the turtles an alien origin. Today, director Jonathan Liebesman responded to the negative backlash, and offered a possible clarification on the producer's.

"Look, it's so funny. If everyone was such a die-hard fan, they would know that the TCRI canisters where the ooze comes from, that is alien ooze. Now I'm not saying what Michael said is exactly what the movie is, because we're sitting in a room now figuring everything out. So we don't know, but we are, like Michael said, we're expanding it, and the expansion will be true to the mythology. I promise you, fans will love it."

Jonathan Liebesman also revealed that the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creator, Kevin Eastman, is involved in the development process.

"Whatever mythology we're building on or expanding is coming from that guy, Kevin Eastman's head, who created the Turtles in the first place. And so everything will tie in with the mythology. Fans will be extremely excited with what we're coming up with. A lot of it is stuff he's wanted to do for a long time, but just hasn't had the opportunity because now we have the budget and things on this film to expand it in the right way. And so, I'm happy that everyone is extremely passionate, and they will not be disappointed. It's all coming from the best possible place for this franchise."

It still isn't known if the turtles will be portrayed through practical means, i.e. an actor wearing a turtle costume, or through CGI. The director dropped a subtle hint that indicates they will use motion capture techniques on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

"All I'll say is that I love how they did [Rise of the Planet of the Apes]. That was exceptional."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will start shooting later this year, possibly around September, and they are eyeing locations in Canada. While the project will feature a lot of action, Jonathan Liebesman stressed the story will be more about brotherhood.

"We're definitely into the action, but for me what's more important than that is that it's a story about brotherhood and friendship and responsibility. Right now, I'm with the characters because those are what attracted me to the movie. They're the best characters I'll have had a chance to deal with."