Imagi Services president/ceo Tom Gray announced the signing of Kevin Munroe to write and direct a new CGI-animated feature-length TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES film. Now in pre-production, the film is targeted for U.S. release in spring 2007.

The new TMNT film will be produced by Tom Gray (who guided the first TURTLES trilogy through production) and Galen Walker of Imagi. Exec producers are Francis Kao, Gary Richardson, Frederick Fierst and Peter Laird, who co-created the film with Kevin Eastman. The picture deal was conducted by Gray and Walker of Imagi, Grodin of Weissmann, Wolff, et al., Richardson of Mirage Licensing, and Fierst of Fierst, Pucci & Kinder.

Kevin Munroe has done extensive animation work during the last decade including videogames, television series and original comicbooks. He has worked in developing both the writing and design of animated projects for companies such as Disney, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, WWE, Fox Kids, The Henson Co., Kids! WB!, Dark Horse Ent., IDW Publishing and Nickelodeon. Besides working in all aspects of production design and storyboarding on shows such as Nickelodeon’s HEY ARNOLD!, Munroe also created, wrote, produced, designed and directed the CGI Christmas special, DONNER, for ABC. His projects have been optioned by Walt Disney Feature Animation, Stan Winston Studios and Brett Ratner’s Rat Ent. in addition to co-writing another Imagi feature, CAT TALE.