New Live-Action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Moves Ahead as The Last Ronin Gets Shelved

Good news: new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are finally on the way. Less-good news: the gritty Last Ronin movie that had been percolating is getting pushed aside for it. Let’s unpack.

The new movie: who’s steering the sewer lid

THR says Paramount is negotiating with Neal H. Moritz to reboot TMNT in live action. If that name rings a bell, it’s because he’s the Fast & Furious veteran who also produced the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Multiple sources tell THR the studio wants to 'Sonic-fy' the Turtles, which, translation: chase that crowd-pleasing, four-quadrant momentum Sonic has been printing money with. For context, the three Sonic films have pulled in north of $1.2 billion worldwide.

'If you want Sonic, you go to the guy who did Sonic.'

Hard to argue with the logic, even if it suggests a very specific tonal lane: fast, bright, and family-friendly. Also worth noting: it’s been nearly a decade since the last live-action Turtles movie, so Paramount clearly wants the return to feel big and accessible.

The casualty: The Last Ronin goes back on the shelf (for now)

Here’s the part fans of the darker comics won’t love. Paramount had been developing an R-rated adaptation of The Last Ronin, the mini-series from TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz. 'Nobody' director Ilya Naishuller had been in talks to take it on. But with this new, broader reboot taking priority, that project has been moved to the back burner. The current leadership wasn’t thrilled with the idea of the first non-animated Turtles movie in 10 years being a bloody, adult-leaning story. It hasn’t been killed outright, and the door is open to revisit it later, but don’t hold your breath.

Where things stand

• Paramount is moving ahead on a live-action TMNT reboot.
• Neal H. Moritz (Fast & Furious, Sonic) is in negotiations to produce.
• The studio goal, per multiple sources: 'Sonic-fy' the franchise after Sonic’s $1.2B-plus worldwide haul across three films.
• The R-rated Last Ronin adaptation, once in motion with Ilya Naishuller in talks, is now on the back burner due to the family-first strategy.
• Last Ronin could resurface later, but the immediate future for Turtles is leaning all-ages.

So, big green energy is coming back to live action, just not the brutal, lone-survivor saga some were hoping for. For now, expect pizza, quips, and a studio aiming for Sonic-sized box office.