A few years back, an R-rated and adult-oriented cinematic version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was in development from Paramount, based on the universally beloved comic book The Last Ronin. The IDW series took place in a dystopian future, where Shredder’s grandson kills three of the Turtles one by one. Only one of the Turtles survives and goes on a mission of revenge. Sadly, with the big changes recently announced for the TMNT franchise going forward, Paramount canceled The Last Ronin development. But we’ve learned, via Collider, that if it had gone forward, actress Judith Hoag, who played April O’Neil in the 1990 live-action movie, would have returned to her iconic role.
At Big Lick Comic Con in Virginia, Judith Hoag said, “Yes, I’ve been approached [for The Last Ronin], and I’d be happy. It would be a great bookend for me. And maybe that happens, and maybe it doesn’t. We’ll see.” That sure sounds like The Last Ronin would have been a direct sequel to the original TMNT trilogy. Which would have been wild. Although the movie remains canceled right now, who knows if Paramount chooses to revive it at some point. Right now, it seems they are attempting to reposition TMNT as more kid-friendly, hoping to revive the franchise’s ’90s heyday.
Even though Paramount has currently shelved The Last Ronin, there are a ton of Turtles projects still in development. First up, there’s a sequel to the recent animated hit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. That one arrives in theaters in 2027, along with a new animated TV series. There’s also another reboot of the live-action franchise to go alongside it. So Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo will be back on the big screen before you know it. It just won’t have an adult storytelling bent, at least for the time being.
This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!