Todd W. Langen

Todd W. Langen is an American screenwriter and former engineer, known for his work on the first two live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies.

Todd W. Langen
Langen in 2025
Born	Detroit, Michigan, US
Works	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze "The Wonder Years"

Career

Langen was born in Detroit and earned a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan. He decided to become a screenwriter just two weeks after graduation, while working in Los Angeles as part of the Launch Vehicle Integration team for Hughes Aircraft Company, helping to incorporate their spacecraft with the newly introduced space shuttle. His first script sale occurred five years later, an episode for the short-lived television series The Pursuit of Happiness. He soon became a regular writer of The Wonder Years.^[1]

Langen was hired to work on the 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, originally written by Bobby Herbeck. Langen was called in to perform a complete revision on the script, known as a "Page One rewrite". Langen and Herbeck did not work together and did not meet until the film released. He is listed first in the credits.^[1] Langen returned to write the sequel in 1991.

Langen spent a couple years following the pandemic on the comic con circuit.^[2]

Awards [3]

• Primetime Emmy Awards: 1989 Nominee for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for The Wonder Years: "Coda"
• Writers Guild of America Award: 1990 Winner in Comedy for "Coda" episode of The Wonder Years.^[4]
• Humanitas Prize: 1990 Winner in Comedy for "Square Dance" episode of The Wonder Years.