Three Years From Now, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fans Will Have A lot to Be Thankful For

Fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will have a lot to be thankful for in just three years. The heroes in a half-shell were supposed to have an R-rated movie coming, but that was canceled when Paramount said they had other plans for the franchise. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been around since 1984, when they were introduced in a comic book property. Since then, there have been numerous television shows and cartoons, as well as several movies. There was a film trilogy in the 1990s, a solo effort in 2007, and a duology in the 2010s. In 2023, there was an animated film, and now there is another franchise release coming.

Deadline reports that a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is coming to theaters on November 17, 2028. This will be Paramount’s fourth Turtles movie after the two live-action films in the 2010s and the animated one in 2023, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The movie will hit theaters one week before Thanksgiving in 2028, and it is one of two family-friendly releases for the studio that holiday season. A Sonic the Hedgehog event movie will hit one month later in time for Christmas.

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This new movie explains why Paramount dropped its plans for its planned R-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles release. This was supposed to delve into the darker side of the Turtles, as it was set to adapt the comic book storyline, The Last Ronin. This storyline took place in an alternate future where only one of the titular Turtles was left alive, and he set out to avenge the death of his brothers. This was going to be a very dark film and was geared toward adults only. However, the news indicates Paramount sees bigger money in a holiday family movie.

The idea of a movie about the last surviving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle battling Shredder’s grandson to avenge his brothers and Casey Jones’ deaths was intriguing. It could have been on the level of something like the recent Predator releases, but even darker. It was also going to keep the same live-action/CG animation hybrid of the 2010 movies. That said, the Turtles, at least in the realm of movies and TV, have been geared toward kids, and Paramount knew that if it wanted to add to its billion-dollar box office, it needed to stick with what worked before.

Producer Neal H. Moritz is producing the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, and with it set for a Thanksgiving release, expect it to be a big movie similar to the Michael Bay-produced films from the 2010s. Moritz is the man whose production company is responsible for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise, and it is Paramount’s plan to take full advantage of the properties it has the license to use. With the idea to make a four-quadrant movie to bring in as large an audience as possible, expect a big-name director and some famous actors to join the Turtles in the cast.

There is also a planned sequel to the animated Teenage Mutant Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, set for a September 17, 2027, release. At the moment, there is no word on whether that will still take place. The movie was supposed to come out in 2026, but it was pushed back to 2027. There is a good chance Paramount won’t want to have Turtles movies in back-to-back years, especially with the money they are likely putting into the 2028 live-action/CG hybrid.

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