R-Rated 'Ninja Turtles' Movie Taps Unlikely Director: Report

The TMNT franchise continues to find success in all sorts of ways. Whether it’s video games like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge”, the 3D-animated reboot, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023), or the ongoing IDW Publishing comic book series, there’s no shortage of new content. But it’s fair to say that all eyes are currently on an upcoming live-action reboot.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the hugely popular comic book series “The Last Ronin” is being developed into an R-rated movie. The story follows the last surviving Ninja Turtle, Michelangelo, who sets out on a one-way mission in an unrecognizable future to avenge the deaths of his fallen brothers, Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello.

Related: The Original 1990 ‘Ninja Turtles’ Movie Is Getting an R-Rated Sequel

The script for the film is being penned by Tyler Burton Smith–whose credits include the reboot Child’s Play (2019) and the ultra-violent actioner Boy Kills World (2024)–while former head of DC Films, Walter Hamada, is producing through his 18hz company. But while we’ve heard next to nothing about the project since the announcement, some potential new information has now come to light.

Over the past year, fans have been calling for the likes of Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy) and Zack Snyder (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) to helm The Last Ronin movie, however, it looks like we may be getting an unexpected name in the director’s chair.

Though Paramount Pictures has not confirmed the latest report, according to popular industry insider MyTimeToShineHello over on X (formerly Twitter), James Wan is set to direct the movie.

Related: New Dark, Gritty Four-Part ‘TMNT’ Series Explained

Should James Wan Direct TMNT: The Last Ronin?

The Australian filmmaker, best known for his work in the horror genre on franchises such as Saw and Insidious (co-creator) and The Conjuring (creator), might not be the first name that pops into your head when you’re wondering who might be best suited to helm a violent Ninja Turtles reboot, however, he also directed Furious 7 (2015), the seventh installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, and the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) superhero films, Aquaman (2018), and its sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).

So if Wan is set to bring The Last Ronin to life on the big screen, he’ll likely call upon his horror roots and his expertise in directing big-budget action movies.

There’s no release date for The Last Ronin movie.

Are you excited to finally see an R-rated TMNT movie? Sound off in the comments below!