Paramount reportedly wants to make a live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Since the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy was basically a money printing machine for the studio, he is apparently in talks with Neal H. Moritz, one of the masterminds behind the Sonic movies, to make it.
The Hollywood Reporter claims that Paramount and Moritz are currently in talks for him to direct a new live-action TMNT movie. According to insiders, there's a reason why Paramount is trying to get Moritz on board for the new project. Not only because it will involve combining animated characters with real-world backgrounds, but because Paramount bosses want Moritz to help them “sonic-fy” the half-shell hero.
I would say Sonic-ify how it rolls off the tongue a little easier, but maybe that's just me.
Sonic 4 Doesn't Overcome Time Travel Accusations, Insiders Say Next Movie Could Be Called Sonic CD
Amy. Metal Sonic. Time travel. It just makes sense.
I'm usually All For Sonic-fying Stuff, but this Feels Off
Exactly what Sonic-fying the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles means isn't entirely clear at this early stage. This likely means that the Turtles will have to be redesigned to fit into a live-action setting, just like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and now Shadow in the Sonic trilogy. But let's not forget how hard it was for Paramount and Sega to figure it out to begin with.
Sonic's initial cinematic design was met with an unhealthy combination of laughter and disgust. The reaction was so visceral that the first film was delayed so its creators could go back to the drawing board. Sonic's revamped cinematic design was much more palatable, and Paramount is clearly hoping that having Moritz on board, someone who has been through the redesign process, will mean they avoid a repeat of that TMNT fiasco.
Aside from the use of the word Sonic-fy, what's troubling about all of this is the direction Paramount is taking with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The TMNT movies were only rebooted after the flop Out of the Shadows , the last time Paramount tested the live-action waters with the pizza-loving icons.
For the latest reboot in 2023, he went the purely animated route via Mutant Mayhem. The film was seemingly a critical and commercial success, grossing $182 million at the box office and earning an impressive 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. According to THR, despite this success, Mutant Mayhem “isn't the vision the owners want” for TMNT, which is why its spinoff series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is entering mid-production.
The Mutant Mayhem sequel is still in the works for now and is set to be released in 2027.
There's no doubt that the Sonic movies have exceeded even the wildest expectations anyone could have. Each movie has grossed more than the last, all three combined to generate more than $1 billion, and Sonic 4 will be here in 2027. However, to assume that the live-action Sonic formula can be applied to anything now is a little short-sighted, especially since it could replace the winning formula Paramount already has for TMNT after Mutant Mayhem.
- Release date
-
August 2, 2023
- Running time
-
100 minutes
- Director
-
Jeff Rowe
- Writers
-
Starring: Dan Hernandez, Jeff Rowe, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, Benji Samit, Brendan O'Brien, Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman
- Producers
-
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver
-
Micah Abbey
Donatello (voice)
-
Shamon Brown Jr.
Michelangelo (voice)
-
Nicolas Cantu
Leonardo (voice)
-
Brady noon
Raphael (voice)
