‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Franchise Remains Highlight for Paramount Despite Merger!!

With the finalization of its merger with Skydance, Paramount is in the middle of mapping out the future of its cinematic slate, and if David Ellison‘s comments at today’s presser were any indication, the company is about to go big to re-establish its big-screen dominance. Fortunately, for fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the four brothers are a high priority for the company going forward. Per Deadline‘s write-up on the studio’s many plans, the goal is to do more with the franchise than just the sequel to the hit Mutant Mayhem. The live-action movie adapting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is now also being prioritized in development, with Walter Hamada presiding over the project as a producer.

A Mutant Mayhem 2 was announced back in 2023, not long after the first film scored a cool $180.5 million at the box office against a $70 million budget. Paramount fast-tracked a sequel for September 17, 2027, thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response from both critics and audiences to the animated adventure, believing the second film would build off that success. As previously reported, both Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are back to produce, with director Jeff Rowe returning to helm the project alongside Kyler Spears and Yashar Kassai, who both also worked on the first installment. All four of Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon are also expected to return as the Turtles, after last playing them in the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles spin-off show, and it’s likely Ayo Edebiri will return as April O’Neil.

The Last Ronin movie, meanwhile, was first teased at CinemaCon back in 2024 as an R-rated take on the Turtles. Considering the mutant heroes have typically been involved in more family-friendly affairs, it’ll be a first for the franchise in theaters, bringing to life the five-part miniseries written by Tom Waltz and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman. The comic introduces a dark future where the grandson of the Shredder, Oroku Hiroto, has taken control of New York, and all but one of the Turtles, now introduced as the titular Last Ronin, have been killed, along with their master Splinter. After years of exile, the surviving member returns to avenge his family and bring down Hiroto, with a little help from an older April O’Neil and her daughter. At this time, no one else is attached to the project besides Hamada, who was previously brought to Paramount to oversee their horror slate.

What Else Is Paramount Prioritizing Following the Merger?

In general, most of the biggest franchises under the Paramount umbrella are being prioritized for sizable new installments. A new Star Trek movie helmed by Andor‘s Toby Haynes is coming, as is another Top Gun installment now that Tom Cruise is free from the Mission: Impossible franchise. More new Transformers projects are also being considered, with three scripts seeking leadership, including one that would bring former franchise director Michael Bay back into the fold. Along with a new Ferris Bueller’s Day Off spin-off, it’s just the tip of the iceberg for what the newly reinforced Skydance-Paramount union has in store for entertainment.