Fans of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles won’t have to wait much longer for a new TMNT movie. New York’s own Heroes in a Half-Shell is coming back to theaters in two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie reboots, as well as spin-offs involving villains. Despite going six years without appearing on the big screen following the underwhelming results of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the shadows, Ninja Turtles remains a strong brand, whether in animated series, comics or toys. The fact that not even one failed movie has stopped Paramount from green-lighting two new Ninja Turtles movie options is a testament to the sheer strength of the IP.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ cinematic history dates back to 1990 with New Lines Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which had two sequels. In 2007 the CG-animated TMNT landed, followed seven years later by another live-action production. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, produced by Michael Bay and starring big names like Megan Fox and Will Arnett, revived the cinematic legacy of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, the sequel did less than half as much as its predecessor and put the Paramount franchise on hold. There have been animated TMNT movies in the meantime, no later than 2022 Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies on Netflix. Seth Rogen takes over the helm for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem reboot, and a new live-action TMNT movie is also planned. With two new TMNT movie options on the way, it looks like the wait for another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is finally over.
Seth Rogen’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
The next new TMNT movie is coming from Seth Rogen in 2023, titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. In June 2021, Seth Rogen used his Twitter account to confirm that he would be producing a new TMNT film that is CG-animated. The unusual announcement (in the form of a sketchbook) revealed some of Rogen’s early ideas for his version of the Ninja Turtles and also listed an August 2023 release date for the film. After Paramount pushed the original date forward by a week, the film is currently set for release on August 4, 2023. Bad neighbors Brendan O’Brien will co-write the film The Mitchells vs. The Machines‘ Jeff Rowe serves as director.
Although not much is known about the new TMNT movie, Seth Rogen’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is expected to focus on the “Teenage” side of the characters rather than the “Mutant Ninja” aspect, deviating from the approach of the Michael Bay films. Rogen has indicated this Mutant Mayhem will be a coming-of-age story, and subsequent tweets have also confirmed that he’s looking to cast teenagers as Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Donatello (a franchise first). Kevin Eastman, the co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is excited about Rogen’s take. Speaking at SDCC 2022 (via IGN)Eastman spilled that he was a “big fan” of Seth Rogen’s film. Eastman is particularly pleased that Rogen seems to respect the teenage element of the Ninja Turtles, especially since they were only 15 in the original comics.
Seth Rogen’s new TMNT movie will be deeply personal
Seth Rogen’s new TMNT movie is reportedly a very personal project for the actor/comedian. Grow up, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was one of Rogen’s cartoons, along with other famous Saturday morning shows like Darkwing Duck. In an interview with The AV Club, Seth Rogen went into detail about why the project is so personal to him. Really nailing the “teenage” aspect of the title, that Pineapple Express actor had this to say, “It’s a teenage movie, we’re putting a lot of our own feelings — of awkwardness and insecurity and wanting to belong and be accepted and all that — into the movie.” Actor Seth Rogen went on to discuss that he and the rest of the production team found a path that makes them “care” for the film and its teenage characters. The new TMNT movie will explore more childhood territory than previous Ninja Turtles products, with the exception of the comic book The Last Roninwhich has its own advantages in terms of being nuanced.
There are plans for spin-offs based on TMNT villains
The new TMNT movie is planned as a precursor to several TMNT spin-offs based on the various members of the Turtles’ very well-populated rogues gallery. From obvious choices like Shredder and Kang to fan favorites like Bebop and Rocksteady, most of the TMNT villains have ambiguous yet intriguing Saturday Morning Cartoon backstories that present nearly blank canvases ripe for adaptation. Baxter Stockman, for example, is a scientist turned into a mutant fly by Kang in the cartoons. While this was a blatant parody of David Cronenberg’s The fly in the 1987 cartoon, in the 2020s, it opens the door for a film that nods to Hammer Horror body transformation films and weird science genre tropes. It is also just an example. With creators planning to explore the wealth of lesser-known TMNT characters, it seems strange that a Turtleverse full of spin-offs doesn’t already exist. However, there have been no details on the TMNT spin-offs yet other than confirmation that they are happening.
Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie reboot
While a sequel to Out of the shadows won’t happen, producer Michael Bay remains attached to the Ninja Turtles franchise at Paramount and will be involved in another reboot. First announced in 2018, this new live-action TMNT movie received no updates until August 2021, when Paramount announced that Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost and his brother Casey Jost would be writing the script. Since the more realistic but over-the-top aspects of Michael Bay’s TMNT franchise didn’t work in the long run, it’s hard to predict what new take Platinum Dunes and Paramount will give this new iteration of the Turtles. There is currently no date attached to the project.
There have been no more updates on the Jost brothers’ new TMNT movie since they were announced as screenwriters. However, there has been no cancellation, so it is likely that Rogen’s 2023 Mutant Mayhem The TMNT reboot is the primary focus of new Turtles properties, with the Jost brothers’ TMNT project following suit. However, Turtles fans will have plenty to enjoy before the next Bay-produced TMNT, as both confirmed spinoff films have the potential to explore different sides of the characters and offer something new to the already great legacy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While comparisons will be inevitable, a well-planned release window for the two new franchises can avoid one overshadowing the other.