Credit: New Line CinemaTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) continues to set the standard for superhero comic book adaptations. Despite being made on a shoestring budget of $13.5 million, the live-action TMNT film, based on the 1984 Mirage comics of the same name, went on to gross $202 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing independent film at the time.
Starring Judith Hoag as news reporter April O’Neil and Elias Koteas as vigilante Casey Jones, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles follows the titular sewer-dwelling heroes in a half-shell as they go up against an enemy known as The Shredder and his army of Foot Soldiers, who are responsible for a sweeping crime wave in New York City.
The film spawned two live-action sequels, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), which, to this day, are widely considered to be vastly inferior to the original film — a fan-favorite and cult classic.
Fast-forward three-and-a-half decades, which brings us to the film’s 35th anniversary, the franchise has seen numerous TMNT movies hit theaters, including live-action reboots from producer Michael Bay and 3D-animated films (2007’s TMNT and 2023’s Mutant Mayhem).
That doesn’t even include TMNT’s success away from the big screen — there have been numerous toys, video games, cartoon shows, and comic books over the decades, which continue to fly off the Ninja Turtles’ factory line faster than you can say “cowabunga.”
While some of TMNT’s success can easily be attributed to the original 1987 cartoon series, which dominated children’s television sets in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the first live-action film is equally responsible. Which explains why it’s still very popular to this day.
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So popular, in fact, that, not only are some theaters re-releasing it (not part of an official re-release), several original cast members are reuniting at Awesome Con 2025, which will run from April 4 through 6 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.
Screen Rant will host the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) 35th anniversary cast reunion, which will feature Brian Tochi (Leonardo), Josh Pais (Raphael), Robbie Rist (Michelangelo), Corey Feldman (Donatello), Judith Hoag (April O’Neil), and TMNT franchise co-creator Kevin Eastman.
Meanwhile, a new era is set to begin for the world’s most fearsome fighting team. While Mutant Mayhem 2 is set for release in 2026, all eyes are currently on The Last Ronin movie, which is being adapted from the popular IDW comic book series of the same name.
Related: R-Rated TMNT Reboot Confirmed as Legacy Sequel to Original 1990 Film
“The Last Ronin” follows a lone Ninja Turtle as he sets out to avenge the deaths of his three brothers in a futuristic and dystopian New York City. The graphic novel has been so well received that there’s also a video game adaptation in development.
Whether or not any of the cast members from the original 1990 film will make an appearance in the upcoming R-rated, live-action reboot remains to be seen. However, “The Last Ronin” co-writer Tom Waltz previously said that he’d love to see Judith Hoag reprise her role as April O’Neil in the film.
Should this happen, The Last Ronin could wind up becoming a legacy sequel of sorts to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990).
There’s no release date for The Last Ronin movie.
Would you like to see The Last Ronin movie become a sequel to the original 1990 film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!