The release of 2023’s animatedTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg,rectified the superhero franchise’s seven-year movie hiatus, marking the first film since the 2016 movie inMichael Bay’s failedTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesmovie series.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesis one of the biggest IPs in the superhero genre, earning itself a historic reputation since it was first released as a parody comic in 1984. However, there has been a distinct lack ofTMNTmovie adaptationsin recent years, with the franchise seemingly focusing on producing TV shows instead.
Mutant Mayhemfollows the turtles as they hunt down and face off against the crime boss Superfly and his mutant gang. The movie proved immensely popular, with many praising its animation style, and was nominated for multiple awards. In fact, the success of the film has led toTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2being confirmed to be in development, with a release date set for 2026. Yet, although anotherMutant Mayhemmoviesounds great, it’s not the most excitingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesmovie coming up, asthere’s an interesting live-actionTMNTfilm in development.
A Live-Action TMNT: The Last Ronin Movie Is In The Works
The Last Ronin Live-Action Movie Will Be Geared Towards Adults
According toVariety, a new R-rated live-action movie is in the works, and it will be based on theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronincomicby Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz. The five-issue miniseries was released in 2020 and ran until 2022 under IDW Publishing, although it is not part of IDW’s continuity and is set in its own universe called the “Roninverse.“The Last Ronincomic series follows a gritty story of the last remaining turtle alive in an alternate dystopian futureas he seeks to avenge his brothers' deaths by killing the grandson of the Shredder.
The Last Roninmovie is markedly different from the other upcomingTMNTprojects because it will be live-action and specifically geared toward an adult audience
The Last Roninjoins a bunch ofexciting upcomingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesprojectsthat will be released over the next few years, including the aforementionedMutant Mayhem 2and a TV series calledTales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,which will expand the universe set up inMutant Mayhem. However,The Last Roninmovie is markedly different from the other upcomingTMNTprojects because it will be live-action and specifically geared toward an adult audience instead of the franchise’s usually universal target range. Interestingly,The Last Ronincomic is also being prepped for a video game adaptation.
Why The Last Ronin Is The Perfect Story For A New Live-Action TMNT Movie
The Last Ronin Is An Extremely Popular Comic Series
The Last Ronincomic series is the perfect story to adapt into a live-actionTMNTmovie because it offers something different from the franchise. While previousTMNTcomics have had their dark moments,The Last Roninstands out as a bloody and intense graphic novel series unlike any other, and its emotional elements and characterization are perfect for such an adaptation.The Last Ronin’s dark and mature story makes it the opposite of Michael Bay’sTMNTmovies. The comic has gained immense popularity, ranking second on Circana BookScan’s list of top-selling graphic novels in 2023 (viaICv2).
The Last RoninComics
Due to the success of the miniseries,TMNT: The Last Ronin’swriters expanded the Roninversewith a prequel and a sequel series, as well as a video game adaptation. The expanding comic universe ofThe Last Roninprovides ample opportunity for the new live-action movie to venture into its own franchise, producing a series of movies that follow the comics. Furthermore, as a relatively recent hit, it makes sense thatParamountwould want to jump at the opportunity to makeThe Last Roninnow, while the hype is still fresh, especially in the wake ofMutant Mayhem’ssuccess.
Mutant Mayhem Was Great, But TMNT Needs To Revive The Live-Action Franchise, To
TMNT Hasn’t Seen Live-Action Movies Since Michael Bay
While 2023’s animated movieMutant Mayhemis a brilliant example of demonstrating that theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesnameis just as popular as ever, it would be great if the superhero series worked on reviving its live-action franchise too. Rather shockingly,Mutant Mayhemscored a higher Rotten Tomatoes rating than bothBarbieandOppenheimer. To stand up against the prolific repertoires of Barbie’s IP and Christopher Nolan shows thatMutant Mayhemis arguably one of the bestTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesprojects to date, and its success is well-earned.
TMNT Mutant Mayhem 2: Release Date, Cast, Story & Everything We Know
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem looks like a return to form for the franchise, and here’s everything we know about TMNT Mutant Mayhem 2.
On the other hand,The Last Roninis riskier and more intriguing than aMutant Mayhemsequel, as the franchisehasn’t seen any live-action projects since the Michael Bay movies in 2014 and 2016. There are plenty of animatedTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTV shows and movies because they are easier to produce, as it can be difficult to realistically pull off live-action without the turtles looking too silly. However, the Bay movies did a fairly good job on this, which gives us hope for theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Roninlive-action adaptation.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Cast
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is an animated film in the enduring action-comedy franchise. Directed by Jeff Rowe, the movie follows the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael—alongside their mentor Splinter, as they confront new adversaries and navigate their teenage years. The film combines humor and action while maintaining the core themes of the beloved series.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 is a sequel to the popular 2023 animated film that rebooted the franchise. The sequel will feature the Turtles arch-enemy Shredder, who they must stop to protect New York City.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is a film adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. The original story follows one of the Turtles who takes on the mantle of The Last Ronin after his brothers fall in battle, seeking revenge against the grandson of Master Shredder.
