Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Two Upcoming Movie Reboots Explained
Fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will not have to wait much longer for New York’s most famous superheroes to come back to the theaters as there are two reboots on the way. Despite having gone six years without appearing on the big screen after the underwhelming results of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, the Ninja Turtles remain a strong brand whether in animated series, comics, or toys. The fact that not even a failed movie has stopped Paramount from green-lighting two Ninja Turtles reboots is a testament to just how strong the IP is.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ cinematic history goes back to 1990 with New Line's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The film, which had a budget of $13.5 million and made $200 million worldwide, received two sequels: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. The Ninja Turles would not receive another movie until 2007 with the CG-animated TMNT, followed seven years later by finally another live-action production.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, produced by Michael Bay and starring big names such as Megan Fox and Will Arnet, reinvigorated the cinematic side of the brand by earning $493 million at the box office. The sequel, however, did less than half as much as its predecessor and put the Paramount franchise on hold. With two reboots now on the way, it looks like that wait for more of the Ninja Turtles on the big screen is finally over.
In June 2021, Seth Rogen used his Twitter account to confirm that he would be producing a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles CG-animated movie. The unusual announcement in the form of a sketchbook revealed some of Rogen's early ideas for his version of the Ninja Turtles as well indicated an August 2023 release date for the film. After Paramount pulled the original date forward by a week, the movie is currently set to release on August 4, 2023. Bad Neibourghs’s Brendan O'Brien will write the film, with The Mitchels vs. The Machines’ Jeff Rowe serving as the director. While not much is known about the story, Seth Rogen's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is expected to give a special focus on the teenage side of the characters instead of the action aspect as the Michael Bay films did.
While a sequel to Out of the Shadows will not happen, producer Michael Bay remains attached to the Ninja Turtles franchise at Paramount and will be involved in a new reboot. First announced in 2018, this new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie did not receive any updates until August 2021 when Paramount announced that Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost and his brother Casey Jost would pen the script. Since the more realistic yet over-the-top aspect that Michael Bay brought to the franchise did not work in the long term, it is hard to anticipate what new take Platinum Dunes and Paramount will give to this new iteration of the Turtles. As of now, there is no attached date to the project.
The next few years will be exciting for fans of Leonardo, Raphael, Michaelangelo, and Donatello as two reboots that promise to be very distinct from each other will hit theaters. Each in their way, both films have the potential to explore different sides of the characters and offer something new to the already vast legacy of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While comparisons are going to be inevitable, a well-planned release window for the two new franchises can avoid one overshadowing the other.