A live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is reportedly in the works and will be the first R-rated TMNT movie
The famous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is coming back to cinemas in the most offbeat way possible. As reported by new exclusive coverage from The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures is coming back with a live-action TMNT movie, adapting the gritty Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin comics by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz.
This comes shortly after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which became a huge global box-office success upon its release last year.
However, there will be one big difference in the upcoming film, which is currently in the development stages. The upcoming adaptation of The Last Ronin will be R-rated, venturing away from the familiar territory that most TMNT movies and animated shows exist in.
Tyler Burton Smith, who wrote the screenplay for the upcoming action flick Boy Kills World, will be writing the screenplay for the upcoming project. Walter Hamada, the former head of DC Films, will be producing the project alongside many others.
The Last Ronin is among the most unique and genre-defying comics in the long list of TMNT material. The comics became a massive hit in 2022, though few expected it with the offbeat material.
What is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin about?
Most TMNT films and shows have been great adaptations of the comics so far. It should not be much different for The Last Ronin, which made its debut in 2020 and ran until 2022. The five-issue comic book miniseries was published by IDW.
Written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz and based on a story by Eastman and Peter Laird, the comic series follows the four anthropomorphic turtle brothers in an alternate universe.
The story follows one of the four turtle brothers in an alternate future who seeks to avenge the deaths of the other three by killing the grandson of the Turtles' arch-enemies, the Shredder. Interestingly, the comics do not reveal which of the four brothers is the surviving one for quite some time, adding an extra layer of mystery and complication.
The entire series is also set in a dystopian New York City ruled by Oroku Hiroto, grandson of the Shredder and son of Karai. The themes of the existing setting echo undertones of fascism and totalitarian regimes.
The story of The Last Ronin is not connected to any of the previous or later editions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Because of the mature content and presentation, this comic was not expected to be as successful as its predecessors, which banked on a younger audience. However, it became an unexpected hit. The series became the second-highest-selling graphic novel of 2023.
The entire story is set in "ronin-verse," which is not in continuity with the previous IDW storylines featuring the characters. The comic series was followed up by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - Lost Years and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution. Moreover, apart from the film, a videogame based on The Last Ronin is also in development.
Apart from the exciting storyline and the appeal to older audiences, the TMNT series is also known for its cult popularity, which should make it easier for the film to succeed at the box office.
More details about the same are expected to arrive soon. Stay tuned for more updates.