Paramount Plans New Live-Action ‘Ninja Turtles’ Movie

‘Fast & Furious’ and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ producer Neal H. Moritz has been brought aboard to steer the venerable franchise in a family-friendly direction.

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (2014). Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Preview:

Paramount wants to make a new, live-action ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ movie.
Neal H. Moritz will produce.
A plan for an R-rated ‘Turtles’ movie is on hold for now.

Paramount giveth (probably) and Paramount taketh away.

The studio is making moves for one of its popular franchise, the comic-book-birthed ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ much as it recently did with ‘Star Trek.’

According to The Hollywood Reporter, prolific producer Neal H. Moritz (who has the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise and Paramount’s own ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ movies on his extensive resume making a deal to oversee a new, family-friendly live-action ‘TMNT’ movie, which will exist separately from the sequel to animated delight ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,’ which is in production via producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

"Heroes aren't born. They're mutated."

PGAnimation Action Comedy Science Fiction

Review
Score

Release Date: Aug 2, 2023

Run Time: 1 hr 40 min

Budget: $75,000,000

Starring: Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu

Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Online

It does, however, mean that forward development on a darker, grittier Turtles outing, ‘The Last Ronin,’ a live-action/CG animation hybrid project that was in development as an R-rated feature, and had ‘Nobody’ filmmaker Ilya Naishuller in talks to direct, is on indefinite pause.

That one will have to dwell in a sewer for now. And the studio has also cancelled future episodes of animated series ‘Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ an animated small-screen spin-off from ‘Mutant Mayhem.’

What is the history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (1990). Photo: New Line.

The main mutant foursome –– Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo –– first burst onto the pop cultural scene via Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s 1984 comic book, launched as a satire of other titles at the time.

That first run was a huge hit, and has since spawned a vast media empire encompassing several animated TV series, a number of movies and enough merchandise to clog New York’s sewers.

Leo and co. famously hit the big screen back in 1990 in a New Line movie that used Jim Henson’s creature shop to bring the title characters to life. That generated two others, but Paramount took its own shot at “live-action” Turtles with two movies using performance-captured characters, 2014’s ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ and 2016’s ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,’ the latter of which was a flop.

‘Mutant Mayhem’ was received much more kindly and did healthy business, but now the aim is for Moritz to bring a similar all-ages feel as he has to ‘Sonic.’

When will the new ‘TMNT’ movie be on screens?

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (2014). Photo: Paramount Pictures.

With zero creative talent attached yet, it’s much too early to speculate; but you know Paramount –– which owns the Turtles outright as opposed to sharing as with ‘Transformers’ –– will want to get something to theaters as soon as possible.

The yet-to-be-titled ‘Mutant Mayhem’ sequel, which sees the return of director Jeff Rowe, is scheduled for release in September 2027.

(L to R) Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo in Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies in a Point Grey Production 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.'