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Credit: Paramount PicturesThis year marks the 40th anniversary of the TMNT. But while there are plenty of iterations of the half-shell heroes for you to enjoy — past, present, and upcoming — with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem universe currently taking center stage, there’s one project that will change the franchise forever — and perhaps even previous installments, too.
In addition to the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 (2026), yet another TMNT movie is in development that has nothing to do with that side of the franchise. The project is live-action and R-rated — a first for the Turtles — as it’s based on the incredibly popular comic book series “TMNT: The Last Ronin” from IDW Publishing.
What’s “Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin” About?
Set in a dystopian New York City several decades in the future, “The Last Ronin” follows a sole-surviving Ninja Turtle who has set out on a brutal, bloody, one-way mission to avenge the deaths of his three brothers and his father, Master Splinter, years ago. But he’s not alone.
Resisting the iron first of dictator Oroku Hiroto, the ruthless, twisted grandson of the Turtles’ arch nemesis The Shredder, who’s also long dead, is an underground rebel faction led by an older April O’Neil and her fearless, battle-ready daughter Casey Marie.
The Last Ronin Movie Is in Development
In April, per The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures confirmed that “The Last Ronin”, which is penned by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman (the other half is Peter Laird) and Tom Waltz, is officially getting an R-rated live-action movie adaptation set for the big screen.
The script is being penned by Tyler Burton Smith (2019’s Child’s Play reboot) and the film is being produced by former head of DC Films Walter Hamada (through his 18hz production company). Other than those details (and the premise, of course), we don’t know much else.
But we do know that, technically speaking, “The Last Ronin” is a distant sequel to most, if not all traditional iterations of the TMNT, in the same way the 2011 “reimagining” Rise of the Planet of the Apes is considered a loose prequel to the original 1968 Planet of the Apes.
Related: R-Rated ‘TMNT’ Movie Everything We Know: Plot, Cast, Trailer, Release Date, and More
The R-Rated Ninja Turtles Movie Is a Continuation
Throughout “The Last Ronin,” we’re treated to several flashback sequences that take us back “present day” New York City. But whether or not the film will depict existing versions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from previous films in these scenes remains to be seen.
In fact, fans are calling for The Last Ronin movie to acknowledge the 1990 film as canon by utilizing the Jim Henson animatronic costumes — or at least their designs. “The Last Ronin” co-writer Tom Waltz even wants to bring back original April O’Neil actress Judith Hoag.
But even without the Jim Henson designs, having Hoag reprise her role as April would canonize that film. And if neither of these things happen, fans will be free to view the new movie either as a standalone installment or a distant sequel to their favorite TMNT timeline.
Michael Bay’s Ninja Turtles Series Isn’t Over Yet
The majority of fans would undoubtedly gravitate towards the 1990 film, the most beloved entry in the franchise. But those who didn’t grow up with that film may choose to think of The Last Ronin as a continuation of the 2014 reboot and its 2016 sequel Out of the Shadows.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) was met with backlash from fans even before it hit theaters. Despite boasting excellent computer animation and motion capture performances from the four actors, the Turtles’ hulking designs left many shell-shocked at the time.
And though the film went on to gross $485M worldwide, it failed to impress fans and critics. Out of the Shadows was a mostly superior sequel — it retconned the worst elements of its predecessor and was essentially a movie adaptation of the beloved 1987 cartoon series.
But its efforts were a little too late as it grossed only $245.6M, which was less than double its budget and only half as much as the first film made. Still, these movies have their defenders.
The Last Ronin Movie Will Rely on Nostalgia
While a third film in the Michael Bay-produced series was originally planned, the 2016 sequel’s box office performance led to the series’ cancelation. Another reboot was in development, with Saturday Night Live writers (and brothers) Colin Jost and Casey Jost attached, but as we now know, that project has mutated into The Last Ronin movie.
But there’s no reason why The Last Ronin movie can’t be thought of as an “eventual” sequel to those first two Michael Bay-produced films, either — narratively speaking, the films do nothing to contradict anything that happens in “The Last Ronin” comic book series. The same can be said about the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series.
With that said, the upcoming film would do well to utilize elements of 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While it’s already set to draw diehard TMNT fans en masse largely due to its R-rating and the fact it’s based on The New York Times best-seller, there’s no harm in injecting it with a dose of nostalgia — it’s a huge seller for any film nowadays.
That said, perhaps it should be left to stand on its own in the same way as the comics and create a new cinematic universe.
There’s no release date for The Last Ronin movie.
Would you prefer The Last Ronin movie to act as a sequel to the 1990 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or the 2014 reboot? Or neither? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!