It looks like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a new place to call home: MTV Networks and more specifically, Nickelodeon. According to Reuters, the network, the world’s number one for kids, acquired the rights today to the globally recognized, and phenomenally successful, Ninja Turtles property for roughly $60 Million.

The network plans to develop a new CG-animated television series based on the shelled superheroes, which will potentially debut sometime in 2012. In addition, the network is planning the release of brand new feature films starring the Turtles in partnership with Paramount Pictures and will also continue to work Playmates Toys on merchandising of the Turtles.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shares a comedic sensibility with the Nickelodeon DNA, with added layers of action and fantasy that have kept this property an evergreen favorite with multiple generations of audiences,” said Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. “We are extremely happy to have the opportunity to be able to focus on this property and creatively re-introduce it to a new generation of kids.”

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a property that maintains a very passionate global fan base, is rich with opportunity for a tentpole movie, and is exactly the right property for us to work together with Nickelodeon,” said Adam Goodman, President, Paramount Pictures.

Actually, TMNT and Nick seem like a great partnership. TMNT has always seemed more of a kids thing to me and for it to be on Nickelodeon and then have a brand new movie from Paramount should continue to expand the appeal of these characters for a long time to come.

Ever since Mirage Studios published the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1984, fans of the series have been hoping for an authentic, decent big-screen adaptation of their beloved shell-heads.

The first try at a live action movie was in 1990 with a dark and gritty attempt at the comic featuring ridiculous rubber suits. Due to the popularity of the cartoon, the film was a financial success, which sadly brought sequels featuring Vanilla Ice, wrestler Kevin Nash and freckled Turtles.

Well, the time has come when the dream of a decent Ninja Turtles movie may come to fruition, as there is information that another live-action adaptation of the franchise is in the works. According to an article over at Variety:

“The Mirage Group, which owns the property, is moving forward with a live-action film focusing on the origins of the iconic crime fighters. News coincides with the Turtles’ 25th anniversary celebration, which kicks off Thursday in New York as the first “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” film unspools at the Tribeca Film Festival.

[Co-creator Peter] Laird said the film will remain true to the spirit of the original comicbooks. He added that the pic may employ face replacement technology, which would allow the turtles to be much more expressive.”

2007′s CGI reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise proved to be mildly successful, but not enough to continue with sequels. So will we see more freckled turtles? Will Corey Feldman return to voice Donatello? And most importantly, will Sam Rockwell reprise his role as the pivotal character “Head Thug”? Only time will tell.