Things Aren’t Looking Good for Seth Rogen’s ‘Ninja Turtles’ Sequel

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem absolutely rules. The animated adventure breathed new life into the eponymous turtles with wonderful animation, great jokes, a host of wonderful voice talent, and heart. Not only was the cast stacked, but the teenagers playing the Ninja Turtles had a kind of chemistry that does not come around often. Mutant Mayhem was a hit, critically and commercially, had a sequel greenlit, and even boasts an animated spinoff show. However, that all seems to be in danger now.

It was announced yesterday that Paramount Skydance would be making a new live-action TMNT film, produced by Neil H. Moritz, who is responsible for the surprisingly successful Sonic the Hedgehog movies. This would be the first live-action turtles film since 2016, and will take the place of an R-rated endeavor based on a recent popular TMNT comic that was being developed (though that may come back at some point).

Also included in the announcement was the fact that the sequel to Mutant Mayhem is still set for a September 2027 release, but I ain’t buying it. First of all, the movie’s spinoff series was recently cancelled midway through production on the second season. Allegedly, the crew was told, “This is not the vision the owners want.” That’s not a good sign when the “vision” is drafted directly off the film that preceded it. Also, if they were willing to cancel the show during production and close to its release, they’re likely willing to do the same to a movie that is two years away.

There is the possibility of hope. A short film set in the same universe is set to hit theaters this December, attached to screenings of the new SpongeBob movie. Also, the Seth Rogen business is booming. Having that guy producing movies at your studio should be seen as a hot commodity. Regardless, none of this screams “guaranteed.” If anything, cancelling their R-rated project and insisting they want to go in a family-friendly direction, but also create a new version of the IP despite already having a version that skews younger, is suspect.

It’s more than likely that the new owners want to move forward with their own take on the property. It sucks, but it seems pretty clear. They already have something that has proven successful, and my kids want to know what’s going to happen with Shredder, dagnabbit. Instead, we’ll get some animation/live-action hybrid that will start out looking hideous until fans complain, and then turn it into a hit franchise. At least if things go south, we may see the events reflected in an episode of The Studio.