The Original 1990 'Ninja Turtles' Movie Is Getting an R-Rated Sequel

Released in 1990, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) became the biggest independent movie of all time– at least until it was dethroned by The Blair Witch Project nine years later.

And despite being followed by six films (The Secret of the Ooze, TMNT III, TMNT 2007, TMNT 2014, Out of the Shadows, Mutant Mayhem), the live-action comic book adaptation remains the most beloved entry on the cinematic side of the TMNT franchise.

But while only The Secret of the Ooze through TMNT (2007) form part of the original film series’ continuity, the 1990 film will soon get a “distant” sequel in the form of the upcoming big-screen adaptation of the hugely popular IDW Publishing comic book, “TMNT: The Last Ronin,” which means its three sequels could be completely wiped from canon.

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“TMNT: The Last Ronin” has been making waves in the comic book world and the Ninja Turtles fanbase since it hit shelves in 2020. Now three series’ deep, with merchandise to boot, and both a video game adaptation and a movie adaptation in development, the sub-TMNT franchise has taken on a life of its own, and there’s no stopping it.

“The Last Ronin” follows a much older, battle-hardened, and depressed Michelangelo, the last of the Ninja Turtles, as he sets out on a one-way mission to avenge the deaths of his brothers, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello, and his father, Splinter.

“In a future, battle-ravaged New York City, a lone surviving Turtle embarks on a seemingly hopeless mission seeking justice for the family he lost,” the official synopsis from IDW Publishing reads.

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Those familiar with the comic will know what to expect from the film from a storytelling perspective (although it would be wise to expect significant alterations to the source material, as tends to be the case with most movie adaptations), but we still don’t know a great deal about the project other than the fact that it falls under Paramount Pictures, the script is being penned by Tyler Burton Smith–whose credits include Child’s Play (2019) and the ultra-violent actioner Boy Kills World (2024)–and that it’s being produced by former head of DC Films, Walter Hamada, through his 18hz production company.

Oh, and it’s R-rated, which places it at the total opposite end of the spectrum to the upcoming family-friendly sequel, Mutant Mayhem 2!

Music to everyone’s ears, no doubt, TMNT is finally getting a violent installment that isn’t bound to the world of comics. So far, every film in the franchise has been made with younger audiences in mind.

While the original film is easily the darkest–which is why The Last Ronin absolutely needs to acknowledge it canonically–every film thereafter, from 1991’s The Secret of the Ooze to last year’s Mutant Mayhem–is not unlike the hugely popular 1987 cartoon series that bookended the infamous era dubbed “Turtle-Mania”.

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But will The Last Ronin movie actually be connected to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)? Essentially, the film will act as a “distant sequel” to the original film and there’s nothing in the comic book, at least, that would prevent it from adopting it as canon.

It could easily ignore The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)–which are both super-kiddy-ish anyway–in the same way the latest Halloween trilogy wipes every film except for the original 1978 slasher from canon.

Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen, however, earlier this year, in an interview with Screen Rant, “The Last Ronin” writer Tom Waltz (who writes alongside TMNT franchise co-creator Kevin Eastman, the other half being Peter Laird) said he’d love to have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) star Judith Hoag back as April O’Neil in the new film.

“My dream is for the lovely and talented Judith Hoag to be a part of something we do in other media for The Last Ronin,” he said, adding, “For much of the Ninja Turtles audience, Hoag’s portrayal of April [O’Neil] had a formative impact on their attachment to the series.”

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Despite there being four films in the original series, Judith Hoag only played April O’Neil in the original. She was replaced by Paige Turco in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, and by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the 3D-animated sequel, TMNT (2007).

As yet, no actors have been confirmed for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin. There’s also no release date for the film.

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