.jpg)
14 minutes ago
2
Paramount Pictures is initiating a major overhaul of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise to align it with the brand's global and long-term appeal. The studio, which is now under the ownership of Skydance, is evaluating its big properties to decide on the future of those with the highest global and long-term potential.
As a result of that evaluation, the series has become the focus of the most recent discussions inside the company, with the studio aiming to revive the franchise after it has not fared well in the live-action field for some time.
A report by The Hollywood Reporter published on November 20, 2025, revealed new information that Paramount is in preliminary talks with producer Neal H. Moritz to spearhead a fresh live-action reboot.
Moritz, who is responsible for the Fast & Furious films and the studio’s successful Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, is the first choice for a new multi-film plan. Also, Toby Ascher, who is a long-time partner of Moritz at Original Films, is anticipated to be on the team once the conversation progresses.
What is happening to the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
The prospect of Mr. Moritz getting involved means that Paramount is planning to handle the live-action TMNT in a very different way. The last movie of the series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, which was released in the mid-2010s, failed to attract viewers leading to the box office.
Due to that result, the live-action side of the franchise has been on hold, with the studio moving towards animation instead.
Paramount is now considering how to bring the Turtles back to live-action fans following the success of the 2023 animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Sources inside the company told THR that the studio wants to "Sonic-fy" the property, which means using the live-action/CGI hybrid style similar to what was used for Sonic the Hedgehog, a franchise that has gone on to gross more than $1 billion for Paramount.
As Moritz is the producer of the Sonic movies, the studio thinks that he may be the link to building a similar model for the series.
Meanwhile, some of the previously planned projects on the series have been stopped. Paramount decided to cancel the production of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, an animated show related to the Mutant Mayhem, halfway through production, blaming a change of creative direction.
Showrunner Christopher Yost confirmed on Threads that the remaining episodes will close out the series. In addition to this, The Last Ronin, an R-rated live-action/CG hybrid film, has been put aside.
The report further revealed that although there were talks with director Ilya Naishuller, it is said that the new management at Paramount didn’t like the idea of the first non-animated film in a decade being for adult audiences.
More details on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles explored
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Image Via Prime Video)The decision to go back to series follows the success of Mutant Mayhem. The movie was directed by Jeff Rowe and written by Rowe, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit.
It was a coming-of-age story set in the world of the Turtles' teenage years, which was the main focus of the film. The movie made $180.5 million worldwide and was lauded for its script, cast, and visual style. Besides, the film was nominated for many awards, including the Critics’ Choice Awards, Annie Awards, and Producers Guild of America Awards.
The idea of a sequel to Mutant Mayhem is still very much alive as it seems according to the THR report. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Jeff Rowe will be coming back for the next work, which is at the moment scheduled to be released on September 17, 2027.
The project serves as an essential part of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animation franchise, which will continue to exist even if Paramount decides to take the TMNT live-action way.
Read More: When will The Thing with Feathers premiere? Release date, cast details, first look, and more
Interested viewers can watch the previous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Prime Video.
Why did you not like this content?
- Clickbait / Misleading
- Factually Incorrect
- Hateful or Abusive
- Baseless Opinion
- Too Many Ads
- Other
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
Edited by Sakshi Singh
English (US)