Paramount Pictures has been making big swings and more than a few misses with their new head, David Ellison. The latest swing is a hard right turn for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Shelving its darker, R-rated Last Ronin adaptation, the new strategy is to aim for “four-quadrant appeal“1.
According to THR, they specifically want to “Sonic-fy” the Turtles so they’ve hired the hedgehog’s producer, Neal H. Moritz, to lead a new live-action reboot. Moritz is now in negotiations to lead yet another TMNT revival alongside his Original Film partner Toby Ascher.
The End of ‘Last Ronin’ — For Now
Paramount’s new management has been causing a stir throughout the company, big and small. Their IP library is being sifted through for properties that Paramount exclusively owns, like TMNT. Purchased outright from co-creator Peter Laird in 2009, live-action efforts stalled after 2016’s Out of the Shadows fizzled. 2023’s was critically embraced Mutant Mayhem but didn’t restore TMNT to glory so now Paramount is planning another reboot.
Two projects were caught in the reshuffle: The Last Ronin — a live-action/CG hybrid based on one of the darkest, bloodiest TMNT storylines and season 2 of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. THR’s sources said that the new regime balked at launching the next era of Turtles with an R-rated revenge saga.
Why Use the ‘Sonic’ Formula?
The vision they do want, insiders say, looks a lot like Sonic: hybrid live-action, four-quadrant tone, strong comedic energy, and a family-friendly blockbuster profile. Paramount is clearly chasing the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise for a reason (it’s made over $1 billion worldwide).
By comparison, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem made $180.5 million globally.
As one insider bluntly put it: “If you want Sonic, you go to the guy who did Sonic.”
What Moves Forward
Not everything is being torn apart. The sequel to Mutant Mayhem, produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, remains on track for a Sept. 17, 2027 release. But the big swing now rests on Moritz’s reboot, which Paramount hopes will reestablish the half-shell heroes as a cash cow for years to come.
- A four-quadrant movie is Hollywood shorthand for a film that appeals to all four major demographic groups:
– Men under 25 and over 25.
– Women under 25 and over 25.
So, a family-friendly, widely accessible, fun action-comedy; Movies like Jurassic Park, The Incredibles, or Sonic the Hedgehog. ↩︎