Paramount’s R-Rated Live-Action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Gets Encouraging New Release Update After Being Shelved Last Year

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Good news for fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Paramount’s upcoming R-rated live-action movie, The Last Ronin, is moving forward after a period of silence last year.

The upcoming, more serious take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, which would have featured Michelangelo as the last Turtle standing, has been uncertain lately due to a lack of news. However, co-creator Kevin Eastman recently told Entertainment Weekly that the project hasn’t been cancelled. He stated, “I don’t think the movie’s off the table… I think it’s just delayed… I think it will happen.”

Paramount is making a live-action movie based on the The Last Ronin comics. The film will center on Michelangelo, the last surviving Ninja Turtle, as he seeks revenge for his brothers’ deaths. His target is the grandson of Shredder, their old enemy. This story is intended to be more mature and gritty than previous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, appealing to fans of the original comics and an older audience.

After the positive reception and fresh approach of the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – directed by Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears, and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg – updates have stalled. While the studio intends to continue the story with a Mutant Mayhem sequel, development on this new, more serious live-action movie has been paused.

With the comic book story of The Last Ronin continuing to grow in popularity, Eastman and Tom Waltz are planning more installments. This shows the franchise is committed to expanding this particular storyline and sees it as an important part of its future.

Unlike past live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and series, The Last Ronin will be the first one rated R, meaning it’s intended for mature audiences. While the original comics from the 1980s had a grittier feel, recent films have been made to be more family-friendly. This new, darker approach is similar to other successful, mature comic book adaptations like Logan, Joker, and Deadpool.

Unlike other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stories, The Last Ronin is set in a dark future where the Turtles have already been defeated. Instead of a team-up, this story follows Michelangelo as he fights alone in New York City. This version will be more focused on character development and have a generally more serious and melancholic feel than past movies.

The project’s current status comes as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise is undergoing changes due to the recent merger of Skydance and Paramount. Eastman admits the series is in a period of transition, and these times often lead studios to re-evaluate their projects and future plans.

Kevin Eastman, one of the original creators of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is still very involved with the franchise, so fans pay close attention to what he says. While this isn’t an official confirmation, his comments often give a good indication of whether new projects are still being considered.

Judith Hoag, known for playing April O’Neil in the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, recently shared that she was considered for a role in The Last Ronin before the project was put on hold. This suggests the film was already starting to look at potential actors. Although there’s no set schedule, those involved are still hopeful that The Last Ronin might be made in the future.

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2026-02-18 03:10