This probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. With the new regime at Paramount, thinks are getting shaken up. The studio has already announced a new Star Trek reboot, shaking free from the JJ Abrams movies once and for all. But for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans, the news is mixed. THR reports that a franchise relaunch is in the works, but it will sadly come at the expense of The Last Ronin, a violent, R-rated adaptation that many had been eagerly anticipating.
Per the report, Sonic the Hedgehog and Fast & the Furious producer Neal H. Moritz is behind this new attempt to “Sonic-fy” the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Given that the three Sonic movies have made $1.2B combined, it’s no shock this is Moritz’s approach. How that plays out creatively is unclear, though.
The Last Ronin takes place in a totalitarian future NYC, where most of the TMNT, Splinter, and even Casey Jones are all dead. The town is being ruled with an iron fist by the grandson of Shredder, who is responsible for their deaths. One turtle survived the assault, however, and after a period in exile, returns to the city to seek vengeance, using all of their weapons and with the aid of an older April O’Neill and her daughter. The story would’ve been adapted by Boy Kills World writer Tyler Burton Smith, based on the popular IDW Comics series.
It makes sense that Paramount would change gears like this. A violent, R-rated TMNT probably isn’t going to draw audiences back in the way it wants. But a family-friendly, nostalgic take that emphasizes the wide, colorful array of characters could be what’s called for. It’s worked for Sonic, so why not TMNT?
