'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Movie 30th Anniversary Pizza Party Announced by Original April O'Neil

Hi, are you ready for a jarring reminder of your own mortality and of the fleeting nature of life itself? Because the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie turns 30(!) this year. That film was everyone's big screen, live-action introduction to Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Rafael, four bipedal reptiles whose superpower seemed to be their ability to source traditional Japanese weapons almost a full decade before e-commerce was a thing.

A recently launched Facebook page, called TMNT Movie 1990, is commemorating the flick's thirtieth anniversary by sharing behind-the-scenes pictures, telling the story of how the independently published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book attained "global stardom" in movie theaters, and reminding everyone of a time when we unironically used the word "cowabunga" in conversations with our friends.

"Some say 30 is a mystical, magical year as it seems to mark when people mature into true adulthood," the site explains. "For Turtle fans, 30 may mean the opposite, perhaps a mental age barrier we’ll never cross because the fantasy that is the Turtles is stuck solidly in teenage sensibilities that include lots of close-to-stupid acts, laughter ‘til it hurts moments, and anxiety out the gazoo. And an abundance of pizza!"

They're not kidding about the pizza thing, because everyone knows the importance of pizza to the world's most fearsome fighting team, to these heroes in a half-shell. (You know you want to say "Turtle Power" right now. Do it.) In a video posted to YouTube, actress Judith Hoag, who played TV reporter April O'Neil in the film, announced that she'll be among the cast and crew who will be taking part in a celebratory Zoom Panel Pizza Party on Saturday, May 23.

"It's our 30th anniversary. We had some really great stuff planned to celebrate with you guys, and then the pandemic hit," Hoag said. "It would be great to have a virtual pizza party with you guys, our fans [...] We want to get together, hang out with you, and eat some pizza. I personally will probably be having a martini while I'm doing it."

As of this writing, there aren't any additional details about the Zoom event, but the TMNT Movie 1990 Facebook page says that it will post more information for online attendees in the days ahead. (Our fingers are crossed that Corey Feldman, who voiced Donatello, will be involved somehow.) Although the 30th anniversary of the film's release date was on March 30, the pizza party is happening on May 23, which is World Turtle Day.

There are worse things you could do on a Saturday night than order a large pizza and listen to a lot of stories about the making of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. (And, let's be honest: we've all had worse nights lately). Nobody would blame you if you downloaded the first three TMNT movies, watched all of them during one pepperoni-fueled binge, and softly said "cowabunga" to yourself during every stunt-filled fight scene.

Turtle Power, indeed.