It didn't take long for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to enjoy popularity outside of the comics following their debut on the printed page in 1984. Their first animated TV show arrived in 1987, and three years later, the heroes in a half-shell led their first live action movie, which was followed by two sequels in 1991 and 1993, respectively. Two decades after that, new live action versions of the Turtles made the jump to the big screen, but following the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, there wasn't any word about a third movie in this series coming out. Now it's been revealed that rather than move ahead with a sequel, the Turtles will be rebooted yet again.
Andrew Dodge, who wrote the Jason Bateman-led comedy Bad Words, has reportedly been tapped to write the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. However, despite this latest go-around being intended to "relaunch the franchise," THR's report also noted that just like the previous two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form will produce the new movie through their Platinum Dunes production company for Paramount Pictures. So despite a new continuity being established, it'll be handled by the same people who oversaw the anthropomorphic reptiles' last cinematic outing.
Critically speaking, 2014's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and 2016's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows were met with mixed to negative reviews, although the sequel fared slightly better than its predecessor. On the commercial side of things, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a box office success, making over $493 million worldwide. Out of the Shadows, on the other hand, only walked away with $245 million worldwide, and a few months after its release Andrew Form stated that it was unlikely a threequel would be made, though he didn't discount the Turtles ever starring in another movie. Evidently Paramount decided it was better to take a fresh approach with the property rather than keep the existing film series going.
Presumably it will be a while until we learn any specific plot details about this new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, but no doubt basic premise will be the same as it's always been. Four turtles (Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael) and their rat mentor, Splinter, are mutated into humanoid form, and using their martial arts skills, they fight the forces of evil in New York City while remaining hidden from the general public. While the Turtles' lineup of enemies ranges from fellow mutations like Bebop and Rocksteady to aliens like Krang, their arch-nemesis is The Shredder, who leads the mysterious Foot Clan.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates regarding the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' theatrical future. In the meantime, if you're looking to get a Turtles fix, the next animated series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, debuts Nickelodeon this September, and IDW continues to publish Turtles comic books. Don't forget to also look through our 2018 release schedule to find out what movies will arrive later this year.
